Moments in Time
by dees1
Summary: Clark has to travel back to 1989 to change history, but as always things do not go according to plan...   He takes along an unexpected guest...Lois   Set in season 5
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers: Set in season 5 just before the trip to the Fortress in Reckoning and in another time******

**Plot: This is another time travel story, and that is all I am going to tell you…****.**

Prologue.

"Lana, the way you've been... I can tell by the way you look at me that I'm losing you. And it's not your fault. There's something I should have shown you a long time ago." Clark mouthed into the mirror as he rehearsed his lines for what would hopefully be a defining moment in his life.

He sank into the chair, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He wanted to be with Lana so much; in fact he did not know anything different except pining for his love of the past four years. Ever since she moved to Met U, there had been a shift in their relationship, mainly due to his reluctance to share his secret with her and the fact he would freeze every time she tried to push things to the next level. He would not normally have taken such a big step until he realised he was pushing her into the arms of his nemesis, Lex. There was no way, he could let her end up in his clutches.

He had spent weeks planning this day and wondered how she would react to his secret and the simultaneous bombshell of his proposal…

Lois had managed to avoid Clark for the past few weeks since the impromptu lap dance she landed on him at the strip club. She made sure that her visits to her cousin were as frequent as her work as an advisor to Jonathan would allow. Eventually though, she had convinced herself that Clark was so besotted with Lana that he would not have given their close encounter a second thought. She decided to break the ice with him and make the first move on the steps to reconciliation.

Clark was deep in thought when he heard someone behind him.

"Lana…" he said as he turned around to come to face with a young dark haired man.

"Who are you?"

"Hello Clark…I am Rokk. I am from the future and if we don't act quickly your present, as you know it, will cease to exist…"

"Rokk…why should I believe you?" Clark asked calmly.

"You are Kal-el of Krypton, son of Jor-el. You arrived on the 16th October 1989 with the first meteor shower, where you were found by the Kent's in Millers Field. I am from the 31st Century. You have no idea how great your destiny is, and how many people you will go on to inspire."

"So what has happened to change history?"

"A evil scientist from my time altered the program of Brainiac 5 – a good version of the being you know as Milton Fine and sent him back in time to change things." Rokk looked at the contraption on his wrist. "Look, we have to leave now. In four minutes, this reality will change, and so will you."

"Why has this present not changed if the damage has already been done in the past?"

"Time is like a ripple effect, much like a wave coming into shore. It has already reached the past, but as long as we can get you back in time before it hits the present, you have a shot to change things back to how they should be." Rokk pulled out a ring. "Put this on… it is pre-programmed to take you back to the necessary time – 14th June 1989. I will meet you there with some friends and explain everything."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because if you don't, your life is over." Rokk announced starkly and then flew off.

Clark took a deep breath, realising he needed to make a snap decision. Something told him that Rokk was telling the truth, so he decided to take the plunge. He slipped the ring on his finger, then suddenly he felt someone touch his shoulder and then a familiar voice. "Smallville….."

"Lois!" he replied in a panic, just as both of them disappeared into thin air….


	2. Chapter 2

When Clark opened his eyes, he could see the ceiling of the barn. So it had all been a dream, or at least that was what he thought until he turned over to get himself up and noticed a still unconscious Lois lying next to him on what looked like hay. He got up, and noticed the loft was not his loft, but the hayloft as he remembered it as a young boy before his parents had converted it for him. His worst fears were confirmed when he looked down and saw the time travel ring on his index finger.

He looked down at Lois sleeping and blissfully unaware of what had just happened to them. Clark scanned the farm, pleased at least that he still had his powers, but there was no one home. Just then he felt a breeze on his back, and turned around to see three people standing there, one of whom was Rokk.

There was also a young blond girl and a red headed man standing alongside Rokk.

"Kal-el, this is Garth and Imra. They belong to the Legion, a group of superheroes from the 31st century."

"Rokk, I need Lois transported back to her time now, she is not part of this." Clark demanded.

"Lois Lane…." Garth shouted excitedly. "I never ever thought I would get a chance to meet the one and only Lois…."

Imra stared at Garth. "You know the rules, Garth. We must not interfere any more than our mission allows."

Clark ignored the others and waited for an answer from Rokk.

Rokk shook his head. "Kal-el, if we send her back, she will go back to a time she will not recognise. Life is bleak in the altered present."

"Ok…She is staying with me, but how long will she be unconscious for? Is there any way I can fix time and transport back without her waking?"

Garth butted in again. "You're kidding right! You are going to be here for months."

Rokk held his hand up. "Garth, please stop interfering. We have already discussed the matter when we realised that Lois had tagged along for the ride. She is going to find out about your secret, and if she finds out now, it will change history. So we have a plan."

Imra stepped forward. "One of my powers, apart from telepathy is the ability to manipulate thoughts and memories so I will wipe her memories prior to the transport back."

"So why am I here? What happened that was so bad?"

"It seems that on the day of the meteor shower that Lionel Luthor was in the truck with Martha Kent when they passed Miller's Field and found you and your spaceship." Imra explained.

"What about Jonathan Kent? He found me. Why would my mom be with Lionel?"

"Due to events changing so fast, we have gaps in our knowledge of events but what we do know is that Martha ended up divorcing your father and becoming a Luthor."

Clark was horrified, stumbling back at the thought. "She would never do that."

"She would if it was the only way to protect you from being brought up by an evil man like Lionel Luthor. She tried to escape with you many times, but she will brutally murdered a few years from now by an unknown assailant."

"No….." Clark shouted. "Why did my father not stop this from happening?"

"Kal-el, he did try. He was the one helping Martha escape with you, but he ended up paying for it with his life too, leaving the Luthor's to bring you up with no interference."

"The result of that upbringing has changed the world to a dark place in the alternate present. The whole of the US is at the mercy of the Luthor's and their powerful heir, Clark Luthor." Rokk carried on the grim tale.

"So what do I do to change things?"

"Brainiac has interfered somehow, but we still don't know what happened to make Lionel get into that truck that day with Martha, but we do know that she was no longer living at the Kent Farm with Jonathan at the time of the meteor shower and that she moved out a few months prior."

"Something major must have happened to split them up." Clark suggested. "Is Brainiac still here?"

"No, we got him back and re-altered his programming and the scientist will never cause any more trouble." Garth said.

"So what is the plan?"

Imra smiled. "You have to start a new life in Smallville with new identities until you can find out what is going on."

"That is not going to be easy, not with Lois tagging along." He added.

Rokk smiled. "Actually she will help make things more believable. We have already set up your new identities. You are called Tom Bradley and Lois is going to be Lucy Mason. You are college sweethearts who are travelling around Kansas trying to find work over the summer. In actual fact, you are running away from your parents who found out your recent engagement, and tried to split you up. The engagement ring you have in your pocket will be perfect to keep up the pretence."

Clark was amazed. "How do you know about that?"

"You were planning to propose to Lana Lang before all this kicked up…" Imra announced as if it was common knowledge.

Clark looked at Imra. "If you think anyone is going to fall for Lois and me being madly in love, you are dreaming. That will never happen I can assure you."

Rokk shot Garth a stare before he had a chance to open his mouth with some quip about the future.

Garth opened his mouth. "I am sure you will be convincing."

Imra looked at her wrist. "Lois will be waking up in five minutes. We need to get her to the bed and breakfast before she wakes up."

Clark was concerned. "What bed and breakfast?" he asked in a worried tone.

"Betty's bed and breakfast! I believe it is called." Rokk commented.

"Well you have blown our chances of convincing anyone. Betty Gibson has owned that bed and breakfast for thirty years and you know why… so she can get the gossip about guests and spread it around town." Clark explained.

"It is the only one. We have paid for a room for a week in advance. We have put some more money deep in the woods for you to use."

"How did you come across money in this time?" Clark asked curiously.

"We placed a bet on a sporting event." Garth grinned

"It was excusable in this case as you need money to survive. There is $5000 hidden." Rokk defended the decision and told him where it was.

"Where are you staying?" Clark asked.

"We are in a location which is unaffected by time, so we can come and go as we need to. If you need us, press on the Legion Ring and say our names, and we will come." Rokk replied.

"You need to go now." Imra stated. "We will visit in the next few days."

Clark nodded, picked Lois up and sped to the bed and breakfast.

Luckily Betty was not at reception when they arrived at the Bed and Breakfast, and Imra had given Clark the key to the apartment. For all the gossiping Betty did, no one could ever accuse her of not providing spacious and homely accommodation to stay in. Each apartment had its own entrance and was fitted out with a bedroom and an open plan lounge and kitchen.

He lay Lois on the bed and waited for her to wake up. He took the few minutes he had left before she did to consider what he was going to say to her. He decided he would need to divulge his secret at some point and the history of how he arrived on Earth. However he knew he had to take it easy and just start of the basic information, like how they had time-travelled back more than 16 years.

She stirred, her eyes opened gradually, then blinking as she tried to focus on her new surroundings. Soon there were signs of confusion on her face, as she tried to examine the room she had found herself in. She sat bolt upright.

Clark sat down on the bed. "Lois, you're safe! Lie back down until you have a chance to wake up properly. You have been out of it for a while."

"Smallville, where are we?" she asked, slightly disorientated still.

"It is a long story. I will go and make a cup of coffee. I'll be back in a few seconds." He went off.

Lois looked across at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Talk about antiquated!" She muttered to herself, but then almost passed out again when she saw the date. -14.06.89. She freaked and screamed. "Clark…"

Clark flew back into the room, panicking at the distress in her cries. "What is it, Lois? Are you ok?"

"Smallville, please tell me this is not working!." She said looking at the clock.

Clark gulped. Why had he not noticed the clock? "Lois, please calm down."

"I will calm down when you will tell me the clock is broken and for that matter where we are."

"Lois.."

"Look, Smallville. I will go outside and ask someone where we are."

"Ok, listen carefully. Prior to you coming to see me in the barn, I was visited by someone from the future. He warned me that I needed to go back in history and change things immediately. Just as I was about to transport back, you touched my shoulder meaning you came along for the ride. I am so sorry you got dragged into this." He announced calmly.

Lois looked at him. "Smallville, I never thought for one minute that you were the type to do acid, but I guess you have proved me wrong."

"I am not on some acid trip. It is the truth. Now I am sorry that you have been dragged along but we have some major work to change time back to the way we remember it." He spoke in a commanding tone. "Now I need you to work with me or it is going to make my job very difficult."  
>He suddenly heard Betty approaching the building from across the main street. Her voice sounded younger but the gossip was unmistakable. She was talking to one of her friends.<p>

"Lois, listen carefully." He pleaded with her. "We are in Betty Gibson's B&B, and in a few moments, she will be back and she will want to meet us. Don't react when you see her, as we have never met her before. We cannot give our real identities, so we are assuming false ones. I am called Tom Bradley and you are my fiancée Lucy Mason. We are travelling around Kansas trying to find summer work before we both start college in Topeka in the fall."

Lois nodded but then laughed nervously. "Can you go back to the part about the engagement? You are kidding right."

"Lois, why else would we be travelling together and sharing an apartment. If you hadn't noticed, there is only one bed here."

"Smallville, believe me that has not escaped my attention and will be discussed as soon as we can Betty out of the way." She smiled.

He reached in his pocket, took one look at the ring and thought about Lana. How he wished he was back in 2006!

"Put this on!" he said, as he got her ring finger and put slipped it on.

She looked at it in amazement. "God, Smallville. You are a regular boy scout aren't you – prepared for anything."

"Lois, remember, Lucy Mason and Tom Bradley." He said one final time.  
>"Got it, Clark…sorry I mean Smallville…no I mean Tom." She managed a smirk despite their predicament.<p>

The predictable knock at the door soon came. Clark went to open it. "Hi Mr Bradley, I am Betty Gibson, owner of this establishment." She announced in a posh accent. "I like to add the personal touch to everyone staying."

Lois appeared at door, and almost broke into hysterical laughter. She had thought that Betty's dress sense in the present day had been bad but she was a walking fashion disaster in this time and in the 1980's that was saying something. "Hi Mrs Gibson, I am Lucy Mason, Tom's fiancée."

Betty looked her up and down. "I must admit I was a little reluctant to let an unmarried couple share a room but then my husband Bernie told me that it was the 1980's and I had to start to move with the times."

"That is so nice of you." Lois announced, trying to act nicely even though a few days ago in 2006 she had cut Betty down to size in the Talon in front of everyone due to the lies she had been spreading about her.

"I took some comfort in the fact you intend to get married in the future, although I must say you look very young to be getting married." Betty said as she looked down at Lois's stomach.

"Oh well I will leave you to it." Betty said as she scuttled off in a hurry. "If you need anything, let me know."

Lois shut the door. "What is the bet that she is headed over to the Talon to tell everyone I am pregnant and I have tricked you into marrying me."

Clark smiled. "That will be hard considering the Talon has only been around since 2001. The place she will be heading for is my mom's old café."

Lois realised that they would be soon coming face to face with Clark's parents. How weird would that be…

"I am starving." Lois said, the sounds from her stomach backing up her statement. "You know when I came to the barn, I was going to ask you if you wanted to join me at the Talon for a coffee and donut."

Clark looked at her with suspicion. "Why would you want to have coffee with me? I guess the rest of the Smallville population must have been busy." He grinned.

"Actually I wanted to fix our friendship after the incident in the lap dance club." Lois spouted quickly.

Clark went red at the thought. "What do you mean? We were both under cover and put on an act."

Lois laughed. "Well I must say Clark Jr is quite an actor. He seemed quite realistic to me."

He went a shade of purple. "Lois, you were imaging things."

"I don't think so, Smallville. It would be difficult to mistake something like that." She continued her assault on him. "Anyway can we put it behind us, and forget it happened."

He took a deep breath. "Let's move on… and fix things so we can get back to our time."

"So what exactly are we fixing? You haven't said what has happened."

Clark asked Lois to take a seat. "Ok, this is complicated and there are gaps in what I have been told. But basically my parents have separated recently for some unknown reason, but no doubt something to do with Lionel Luthor."

"So how does that change history?"

"If they are not together, they do not adopt me, and apparently my mom ends up marrying Lionel and raising me as a Luthor."

Lois was confused. "No way, your mom and Lionel…gross." She stopped when she realised he was upset at the thought. "Yeah I guess that might change things in Smallville, but how does that lead to a dark time for the whole world. I mean you are just a little fish in the big pond."

Clark pondered for a second. Even though Imra had said she would wipe her memory, something still stopped him from revealing his secret to her. Maybe it was the years of hiding the truth from Lana.

"The people from the future do not know why yet. They will be coming back soon, hopefully with some more answers. Until then, why don't we head into town to buy you that donut. Remember not to do or say anything which could alter history. One wrong word could change everything."

She put her hand on his chest. "You need to trust me more, Smallville."

They walked over the road towards Martha's café. "I didn't know your mom ran a café."

"It was just thing she did for a few years to supplement the farm income and to use her business skills she had learnt but then gave it up when she adopted me."

"Your mom is a real home body, isn't she?" Lois could almost smell the apple pie.

Clark smiled. "Yeah…"

They entered the small café. The smell was to die for – all home cooked food.

There was no sign of his mom behind the counter. There was no one else there apart from a girl sitting on a young man's knee at one of the booths, making out with him.

Clark and Lois took a seat, and but no one came to take their order. "I wonder if anyone works here." He asked.

Lois looked across at the hot and heavy couple, and happened to notice the girl was wearing an apron. "Give me a moment!"

Clark looked at her, and realised what she was about to do. "Lo…Lucy, don't grab any attention."

"Excuse me, miss." Lois said, as she arrived. "Do you work here?"

"Yes, I do…. What is it to you?" The girl asked with an attitude.

"Ok...it is a new concept. I am a customer, you are a member of staff, so therefore you get me what I ask for, and I give you money to pay for the goods. Got it…" Lois said slowly.

The man stood up. "Are you insulting my girlfriend?" He asked angrily.

"No, just merely stating a fact." Lois replied coolly.

Clark had been watching and knew he would have to get involved. "Lucy…just leave it." He tried to grab her hand, but she removed it before he could make contact.

"No, I won't. Are you going to serve us or not?" Lois asked.

"No, I am busy." The girl turned away, just as a familiar looking woman walked in.  
>"Marie, what do I pay you for? I have warned you three times about being rude to customers so please take your apron off. You can come and collect your wages later."<p>

Clark looked at across at his mom. Her hair was redder than he remembered from all those years ago, but it was still the mother he knew.

Marie and her boyfriend walked out the door but not before he could turn around and say. "You'll regret this."

Clark wanted to protect his mom but knew he couldn't without looking suspicious.  
>Martha turned around, and Lois could see she had been crying. "Are you ok?" she asked her.<br>"No..not really. Anyway, I really appreciate your help. I have never liked that jock she hangs out with. She had it coming." Martha managed her smile. "I am Martha Kent. Are you two just passing through town?"

Clark tried to interrupt so Lois would not drop them in it any more than she had done already, but it was too late.

"Hi Mrs Kent. I am Lucy, and this is my fiancé, Tom." Lois tried to beam when she mentioned being engaged to Clark, but it did come across as a slight grimace. "We are just travelling around for the summer, and we came to Smallville, and thought it was nice so decided to hang around for a while."

Martha smiled knowingly. "Smallville does grow on you! So are you staying a while?"

"We don't know yet!" Clark commented.

"I don't suppose you are looking for work, are you?" she looked specifically at Lois.

"Are you offering me a job?" she asked.

"How about it? Do you have any experience?"

"Yes, I have worked in a café but don't ask me to cook anything more than toasted sandwich." Lois laughed.

Clark smirked and added his opinion. "Please don't let her cook anything if you want your café to stay standing." He had lost count of the number of times he had smelt smoke when Lois was attempting to cook at the farm.

"Ok, I cook most of the food at home." Martha replied. "Why don't you work with me this afternoon and you can have a trial."

Clark gulped, but knew deep down this was the perfect opportunity to find out what might have happened between his parents.

"That would be great Mrs K." Lois smiled. "Kent, I mean."

That was when Clark started to panic…


	3. Chapter 3

Clark decided he needed to hang out at the café all afternoon to make sure Lois was not going to screw time up, but she convinced him to go and grab some food from the shop as they had nothing in.

After Clark left and the lunch rush was over, Martha grabbed them a coffee. "Have a seat, Lois. You are a hard worker. Would you be interested in working some hours next week? It would really help me out."

"Yeah, that would be great Martha." Lois replied, finally learning that she had to address her by Martha by her first name.

"Great. I have a feeling you and me will get on very well. I do work here most of the time but I have to keep popping out on business."

"No problem. Why don't you head back to see Tom. He seems like a great guy. Where are you staying?"

"At Betty's B&B." Lois replied, waiting for a reaction.

"Has she been snooping into your business yet?"

"Oh yeah. I think she is convinced I must be pregnant to be engaged so young." Lois replied. "I am not…by the way"

"Well, all I can say is going by the look of that ring, Tom must be serious about you."

Lois looked at the ring properly for the first time, and then it hit her. It was a very expensive looking diamond. "I guess he must have saved up for a long time."

"I would say so. That must have cost $10,000 plus." Martha replied.

Lois needed to talk to Clark about this.

She told Martha she would be in at 9am the following morning and headed back to the bed and breakfast where she found Clark watching some TV.

"Hard day, honey!" he joked as she came in.

"Don't honey me. You tell me to be careful and discreet in the way we act. But you still go and give me a ring worth over ten grand. We are supposed to working our way around Kansas, but why do we need to when it looks like you have spent so much money on a ring. Where did you get the prop from anyway?"

Clark looked at her. "It is not a prop…"

"You mean this is your ring…." She suddenly came to a realisation. "Oh my god, you are going to propose to Lana. Is she pregnant?" she said without thinking.

"You sound like Betty." He joked but there was an undertone of annoyance in his voice.

Lois stopped. "I do, don't I. I just thought with your track history with her that something must have prompted you to come up with the idea. So is she?"

"Lois, we are not at that stage yet. We are not ready." Clark said without thinking.

Lois paused. "You are not ready to take that step, but you are ready to ask her to marry you. What is with that?"

Clark got mad. "It is none of your business. Maybe we just want to do things the old fashioned way."

"So it seems." She commented.

"Anyway, I do not wish to discuss the matter with you anymore. What goes on between Lana and me is no one else's concern but our own."

"You're kidding right? We have all had to put up with the Lana and Clark HBO melodrama on a daily basis." Lois laughed, and then stopped when she saw the hurt on his face.

She went to sit on the sofa next to him. "Clark, I am so sorry. My sarcasm gets the better of me sometimes. I don't mean anything by it. It is just me. Lana is very lucky to have someone as honourable as you as her future fiancé."

Clark smiled. "It is ok! I guess you are just getting me back for the hard time I gave you when you and AC hooked up a few months ago. Lana probably will turn me down anyway and to be honest I would not blame her. After the way I have treated her over the years, she would have a right to. I don't deserve her but I need her so much.

Lois listened to his words, and one word would describe his reason for proposing – desperation! It was as though Clark felt he needed to woo Lana with some romantic proposal and expensive ring to keep her. She knew she shouldn't get involved but Clark was her friend. However she put it on the backburner for a few days until he was ready to talk about it again, which no doubt he would be. After all he could never go a few days without mentioning her.

Lois woke up at 7am the following morning to the sound of a running shower. She switched on the news to see what was happening around the world. It seemed surreal to watch the events of 16 years ago unfold as if they were happening right now. Lois realised she must have had a restless night even though it was one of the most comfortable beds she had ever slept in. Luckily Clark agreed to sleep on the sofa, and joked they could alternate turns for the bed, well at least she hoped he was joking. He came out of the shower with a towel around waist.

However much she had tried to deny it when she lived with him at the farm, she had to admit that he had one hell of a body. She often had to tell herself off for finding an excuse to talk to him when he was shirtless when working on the tractor or stacking hay.

He went over to the closet to pull out one of the shirts he had bought.

She looked at him over from the bed. "Why did you not buy me any clothes when you were at the shop."

He looked back at her and smiled. "Because Lois, I value my life…"

"I will come with you for some breakfast. Do I get service with a smile?" Clark asked.

"You will have to pay extra for the smile." She said with a serious look on her face.

Clark noticed a familiar face heading into the café. "There's my dad."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him across the road "Let's see if we can find out what is happening between them."

As they entered the café, Martha saw them. "Tom…Lucy, have a seat and I will bring you a coffee over." She seemed distracted, and kept looking across at Jonathan who had taken a seat over by the window just a few along from them.

"That's odd." Lois whispered. "Something major must have happened; they are acting like they don't know each other."

"I know." Clark replied concerned.

Martha came over with a smile on her face, trying to act as though nothing was wrong. "There you go."

"Thanks!" Lois replied. "Shall I start work now?"

"No honey, have breakfast with Tom first. We don't usually get busy until 10am anyway."

Clark and Lois pretended not to overhear but listened in.

Martha went over to Jonathan. "Can I get you anything?" she asked as though he was a run of the mill customer.

"Martha, we need to talk." He asked her hopefully.

"Jonathan, I can't cope if you continue to lie about what happened. You hurt me deeply, and you expect me to get back with you."

"It was not me." He protested to his wife.

"Jonathan, you keep saying that, but I think after being married to you for ten years I would know my own husband. You broke my heart into a million pieces that night with your words. I don't think I can ever forgive you for that."

Clark could feel his mom's heart breaking. He wanted to go and find out what had happened, but felt powerless.

Lois could see his upset at the exchange, and grabbed his hand to show her support. Without thinking, Clark started to massage her knuckles with his thumb whilst listening for more information.

"I will be coming by for the rest of my stuff later." Martha continued.

Jonathan said no more, and got up and left. Martha was reduced to tears, she collapsed into the seat where he had been sitting.

Lois went over to her. "Are you ok? I'll get you some water."

Martha sniffed. "It's ok. I will be fine. I am just going through a rough time with my marriage."

Lois sat down next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Martha said as she straightened herself in her seat, and started to recompose herself. "I just never expected my marriage to end this way."

"Is it definitely over?" she asked.

"I can't see any way back for us. Don't let this put you off marriage. Maybe Jonathan and I were not meant to be. I have not known you long but I see a strong bond between you and Tom." Martha said with conviction.

Lois sat back, not knowing which was the most overwhelming admission from Martha – the end of her marriage to Jonathan or the fact she saw a connection between Clark and her.

"I could not help but overhear the last comment you made to your husband about picking your stuff up at the farm. Do you want Tom to go and pick it up for you?"

Lois waved at Clark to come over. "Would you mind going to the Kent Farm and picking up Martha's stuff?"

"How do you know it is a farm?"

Lois cleared her throat whilst trying to dig herself out of the hole. "I guess your husband looked like a farmer."

Martha smiled. "I guess the plaid shirt was a giveaway. The fact Jonathan is a farmer caused all of this trouble in the first place. My father has never accepted the fact I give up a potential career as a lawyer to live on a farm.

"Nevermind…" Martha said as she offered the keys to her car to Clark. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not." Clark replied. "Just tell me which direction to head."

"It is just a few miles south of town. If you go past Miller's farm, you will see it on your right. Thank you so much."

Clark took the keys and headed down the very familiar route to the farm. His father had only just pulled up.

He jumped out the car. "Mr Kent!" he said realising he would never get used to saying it.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"I am Tom Bradley. My fiancée Lucy has just taken a job at your wife's café. We could not help but overhear what happened this morning, and Martha asked me if I would come by the farm and pick up the rest of her stuff."

Jonathan shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I am sorry you have been dragged into this mess."

Clark looked at him. "I am not here to take sides or get involved. I am just trying to help out."

"Why don't you come into the house whilst I sort it out?" Jonathan replied.

Clark sat at the table whilst his dad made some coffee. "So what brings you to Smallville?"

"I am just travelling around with Lucy before we start University in September."

"Getting away from your parents, I bet.." he smiled.

"No. I have the nicest parents I could ever ask for. Mind you, Lucy's father is hard work sometimes." Clark replied honestly, thinking of his run-ins with Sam over the past year.

"Your parents sound nice!"

"Have you got any children?" Clark asked trying to probe for more information.

"No, we might still be together if we had. We have tried for the past eight years but it is not meant to be, I guess." Jonathan sounded sad.

Clark would have loved to tell him to hang in for a few months until after the meteor shower but knew he couldn't.

"I'm sorry."

"Maybe it is for the better anyway. Children should not be involved in a break-up." His dad commented.

"So it is definitely over! It's just…well I know I said I would not get involved…but Martha seems devastated about the break up.

Jonathan shook his head. "I can't see any way back... She is convinced I told her the most horrific and hateful things one night a few weeks ago. I know this sounds insane, but it was not me. I know it wasn't because I was passed out in a ditch the whole night …drunk."

Clark was puzzled. He knew his dad was telling the truth, as large amounts of alcohol had never agreed with him. It never made him angry, just unconscious.

"There must be a way of convincing her." Clark suggested, knowing Brainiac had obviously shape shifted to look like his father.

All along he had assumed that Brainiac would have involved the Luthor's somehow in his quest to change history, but it was not looking like that. It seemed the Brainiac from the future had created a small crack in the relationship between his parents which had now turned into a gaping chasm.

"I don't see how. It is nice of you to be concerned but there is not much you can do to help. " Jonathan paused. "Since your fiancée is working at the café, I don't suppose you would be interested in some work on a farm. I don't know how much you know about farming but I could use a hand for a few weeks as we are busy this time of the year."

Clark smiled. "I grew up on a farm so I would love to help out. I am sure Lucy could do with me out of her hair. When do you want me to start?"

"How about tomorrow at 6am sharp?"

"No problem!" Clark replied.

He grabbed his mom's stuff and headed back to the café to drop it off. Lois was sitting down having a coffee.

"Don't tell me you have been drinking coffee all morning?" Clark grinned. "Where is Martha?"

"Sit down and shut up. Martha has popped out and for your information I have been rushed off my feet for the past hour. Anyway I have more important things to discuss. Your mom was so upset after Jonathan left that she told me everything."

"It seems that all the trouble with your parents started a few weeks ago when your granddad Bill turned up to stir things."

Clark knew that there was no love lost between Bill and his dad. "What happened?"

"He came to tell Martha that he wanted her to move to Coast City to train as a lawyer."

"But he knew she wasn't interested. She has never shown any interest in becoming a lawyer after she met my father."

Lois looked at him. "Apparently it wasn't your mom that he had a go at. It was your father. He told him how inadequate he was as a husband and the fact he had been unable to father any children just made matters worse. He more or less called him a failure."

"I wonder if that is why my father was drunk that night."

"He did storm off after an argument with your mom. I don't know what he has told you but it seems he went back to the farm and told Martha some horrible things. I can see why your mom is having trouble forgiving him." Lois explained.

"That was not my father! It was Brainiac." Clark paused, looking at a puzzled Lois. "Ok Lois, we need to have a serious talk later when you get home. There are some things you need to know."

Her expression changed to one of worry. "Are you ok? What is this about?"

"When are you finished here we will go back to our room." He promised. "I will go and make something for us to eat."

Clark headed off just as Martha arrived back. He decided against his better judgement that a bottle of wine may help Lois deal with his bombshell a little better, as long as she did not have too much.

Martha smiled at Lois. "Why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off? You need to take it easy."

Lois realised what had happened. "I guess you have heard Betty's gossip. I am not pregnant, if that is what you have heard."

Martha looked embarrassed. "Sorry Lucy. I told myself that I should never believe her but she seemed so convincing when she told me that you had told her your news."

"It's ok, Martha. I am sure she can seem convincing. She is probably making the assumption that we are getting married so young for a reason." Lois suggested.

"So have you got a date set?"

"No way, we just got engaged a few weeks ago." She explained. "Do you think that you and Jonathan will get back together?"  
>"I don't know I can. I love him more than anything but those words killed me. I have finally accepted that I am not meant to be a mom, so I have decided to concentrate on my career."<p>

"You're leaving!" Lois asked shocked.

"No…I could not leave Smallville, it is my home and always will be. The meeting I have just had was with a man called Lionel Luthor. He is a very important person around here, and he has agreed to take me on as a personal assistant."

Lois bit her tongue. She wanted to tell Martha about Lionel, but knew she couldn't. She needed to talk to Clark as soon as possible. "Oh I see…"

Martha looked at her watch. "Lucy, it's almost three. Why don't you head off? Are you still ok for 9am tomorrow morning? I will get some proper help organised if I take this job."

"You mean you have not decided yet?" Lois asked, not trying to sound too hopeful.

"I am taking a few days to think about it. I told him I would have an answer by the end of the weekend."

"That seems sensible."

Martha smiled. "While I was out, I took the liberty of getting you some tickets to Saturday night's Smallville Shindig. It is a monthly event where you get to have drinks, do some dancing and just generally mix with other people. It is great fun. Jonathan and I used to go every month."

Lois smiled "It sounds like fun! Will you be there?"

"Yeah probably. I don't like to miss it. It is a part of life in Smallville."

Lois smirked when she thought about how thrilled Clark would be. It may a chance for him to let loose, something she did not see very often.


	4. Chapter 4

Clark was just setting the table when Lois arrived back. "Hi Lois, have a seat!" he pulled out a chair for her.

She looked at him suspiciously. "You're not going to admit you are in love with me, are you?"

"No, what would make you think that." He looked back with a horrified look on his face, wondering if he had overdone it with cooking and gave her the wrong impression.

"I am only kidding. Your face is a picture." She laughed as she sat down.

He brought over the salad he had made. "There you go. I risked getting in trouble with the police to get us a bottle of wine."

"Thanks…I promise not to drink too much."

"After Christmas last year that would not be a bad idea." Clark smirked.

"So spill… Smallville. What have you got to tell me?" she pushed him, desperate to be put out of her misery.

"Lois, can I just ask why you have not questioned anything. I mean here we are 16 years in the past, sent by people you have never met and you have barely reacted. Lana is always pushing me to reveal my secret."

Lois looked at him with a serious expression. "Clark…Firstly I am not Lana and secondly however much I enjoy winding you up, I trust you 100% and I always will. I do have some questions but I am sure you will tell me some answers when I need to know."

For some inexplicable reason, Clark felt his heart skip a beat when she admitted the amount of trust she placed in him. He brushed it to one side and took a deep breath. "Ok, what I am about to tell you will change the way you feel about me, but I have kept it hidden for a reason."

Lois saw his nervousness and took hold of his hand. "Go on… I am listening."

"Ok….here goes! At the present time, the younger version of myself is hurtling towards Earth amongst the meteor rocks from my home planet. I landed on the 16th October in Miller's Field and was found by a young couple who were driving past. They took me home, and raised them as their own."

Lois did not react except to squeeze his hand, urging him to continue.

"Apparently the time line has now changed, and my mom is with Lionel when they find me in the field. Lionel sees my abilities and claims me as his own son. I think my mom only marries him to protect me. Over the next few years, my father will try to help my mom and the other Clark escape but they are both my parents are brutally murdered during one of the attempts." Lois could see his emotion when describing what would happen if they did not change things.

"Lois, if I am brought up by the Luthor's, I will become the most deadly weapon this planet has ever seen. We need to stop this from happening." He announced.

She remained calm. "So what exactly are your powers?"

"I am invulnerable, well apart from the green meteor rocks which can kill me, and I have superspeed, x-ray vision and superhearing. I seem to be developing more abilities as I get older and there is a chance I may be able to fly at some point in the future."

"Are you the only one from… Where is it you are from?" she asked.

"Yeah I am the only one from Krypton.. I am Kryptonian, and my real name is Kal-el."

There was recognition on her face. "So you were the person those weird guys were looking for in the hospital last year."

"Yes… I am so sorry that I never told you this." He pleaded with her to accept his apology.

Her face changed; she looked annoyed. "Clark, don't you ever apologise for keeping your secret. This must have been such a burden to carry around. I am honoured that you chose to tell me, and I will do whatever I can to help you get time back on track. I did not have a right to know… I am not your girlfriend."  
>Without thinking he announced. "I wish you were…" he became flustered when he realised what he had said. "I mean I wish Lana would accept me as easily as you do. I have a feeling when I tell her that she will freak and treat me differently."<br>"Are you going to tell her?" Lois asked.

"Well that was the plan just before we got transported here. I was going to take her to my fortress and tell her everything before proposing. The fortress is a place in the Arctic which was created by a crystal my Kryptonian father left for me. It is a place I can go to speak to an artificial intelligence version of Jor-el."

Lois smiled. "That would be a marriage proposal with a difference."

"I guess so. It is my last chance to save my relationship with her."

Lois heard his desperation again. She decided not to challenge his reasons for proposing to Lana. After all, the way things were going in Smallville, they could be stuck in this time until the meteor shower. What puzzled her was why the thought of spending the next four months living with Clark was not bothering her more….

Clark told Lois about his childhood and how his powers had made him feel different. She listened intently to his every word, totally spellbound by the amazing person Clark Kent was turning out to be.

Suddenly he stood up. "Imra is coming."

"Can you hear her?" Lois asked, curious how he knew.

"No… it seems she has just told me telepathically." He said with amazement.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Clark went to open it. It was a smiling Imra. "Hello Tom!"

"Hi, come in. " she walked past him and headed into the lounge. "I see you have already told Lois your secret."

Clark looked at her. "How do you know? Have you been listening in?"

"No, I read your thoughts." She replied.

He became annoyed. "You are telling me that you have been reading my mind."

"Yes of course! That is what telepathics do!" She said as though it was the most normal thing to do.

"Well Imra, I would appreciate if you did not violate my thoughts without my permission or unless it is a matter of life and death." He replied forcefully.

Lois smirked in the background.

Imra looked at him sheepishly. "Ok…I am sorry."

"Thank you." He replied. "So what have you found out?"

"Aren't you going to introduce me to Lois Lane?" Imra asked looking across the room.

"Lois, I would like to you to meet Imra."

Lois shook her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

"So did you find out anything more?" Clark asked, trying not to sound impatient.

"We know you have discovered what drove your parents apart and have done well to get into positions to find out more." Imra announced. "We do now know that Martha married Lionel Luthor on the 14th February 1990, and that she and Jonathan Kent were murdered on the 16th October 1991 on the second anniversary of your arrival."

"How bad are things on Earth?" Lois asked.

"The planet is on the verge of civil war. Many American cities have already been wiped out by a nuclear war which ravaged almost the whole planet in 2003. Billions of people have died, and for the rest of Earth's survivors life is not worth living. Nothing can stop you from completing this mission." Imra explained.

"My god, and all of this is because Lionel found me." Clark exclaimed, blown away by how much he could alter history.

"Is there anything else we can do to change history for the better?" Lois asked.

Imra paused, something in her expression told Lois that she was hiding something. "No, just do what you are doing, and make sure the Kent's find baby Kal-el. I must go now. Rokk will be in touch soon."

After she had gone, Lois turned to Clark. "She is hiding something."

"I know she is, but what. Pity I am not telepathic." He smiled, but deep down he was concerned.

"She is a bit overpowering isn't she?" Lois laughed.

"Tell me about it. I didn't get a chance to tell you that I was going to be working on the farm for the next few weeks."

"I bet you cannot wait to get back into that plaid shirt again."

"I feel lost without it." He joked.

"Well why don't you wear it for Saturday night. We are going to the shindig." She announced, expecting some opposition.

He started to beam. "That should be an experience. They stopped having them after the town hall was destroyed in the meteor shower. My parents always told me about them."

Lois was gobsmacked. "I thought you would freak."

"No, I am looking forward to it, but one thing you will need some cowboys boots to do some line dancing."

Lois wondered what had happened to the real Clark. He was so animate compared to his usual stressed self, who spent most ofl his time worrying about the latest status of his relationship with Lana.

Meanwhile at the Fortress of Solitude, Imra told Rokk, Garth and Jor-el of her concerns.

"You did not see them…" she protested.

Rokk shook his head. "But we all know that Clark Kent and Lois Lane barely tolerated each other in the early years."

She continued. "If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself. They may not be aware of their feelings yet but I can tell you now it won't be long before they know."

Garth interrupted. "I think Imra is right. The only thing that kept them apart for so long was the spectre of Lana Lang and with her gone there is nothing to stop them."

Jor-el's voice boomed across the structure. "Well we need to find a way to interrupt their feelings. We do not know what will happen in the future if they bond before it is meant to happen."

"As far as I see it, we have two options." Rokk explained. "We either send Lois back to the future. She will probably be killed but it does not matter as the original Lois Lane is still living in West Germany with her parents in 1989. The other option is that we wipe both their memories during the jump."

"Rokk, there is no way you can send Lois back, Kal-el will not allow it, and I may be able to wipe Lois's memory but I would have no effect on Kal-el's. Could you do it, Jor-el?"

"I do not know. It may be possible." Clark's father replied from the console.

"There is one more option." Imra commented. "We could lie about events in the future and lead them both to believe that Lana is Clark's future soul mate. There is no way they will pursue a relationship if they are told that."

Rokk smiled. "That could work! Let's do it."

The following morning after an uncomfortable night sleeping on the sofa, Clark headed to the farm to help out with the chores.

"Hi Tom." His dad greeted him with a smile. "I will show you around. I have a meeting with my neighbour at 8am so if I can start you off working before then it will be great.

Clark smiled. "No problem. I know my way around most farm equipment."

Meanwhile back at the B&B, Lois was just finishing getting ready when there was a knock at the door.

She went to answer it. "Hi Imra. Come in!"

"Hi Lois. I just need to talk to you about a delicate matter. Clark isn't here, is he?"

"No, he is at the Kent Farm." Lois replied curiously.

Imra came in and sat down. "Ok, I am sorry to have to bring this up but at the moment there is a potential breach in the timeline."

"I know there is!" Lois announced. "Is that not why we are here?"

"No, apart from the Kent breakup. Ok…" she took a deep breath. "When I was here yesterday I noticed a connection between you and Clark, and I am worried where it might lead."

Lois looked at her in disbelief. "What is this connection between Clark and me? Everyone seems to have noticed it apart from us. We are only friends, and if I am honest, at times even that is a struggle."

"You have feelings for him. I can see it."

"Imra, read my mind. I have only feelings of annoyance for him." She protested.

"I am not here to argue with you Lois, only to let you know that nothing can come between Lana and Clark. They are meant to be."

Lois smirked. "Imra, the only thing which can come between Lana and Clark are Lana and Clark. I have never interfered in their relationship although sometimes it is hard to resist as I have to constantly hear about it."

"Lana is the love of his life and always will be." Imra said.

"So you keep telling me! You will no doubt be watching us from wherever you are staying, so you can make sure we don't get carried away." Lois laughed at the thought.

"Lois, we cannot observe you from where we are, only when we time travel to come and see you. It might be better if you do not tell Clark about this chat, as it could influence the future." Imra left, leaving a very intrigued Lois in her wake.

Clark was relishing his time on the farm; the biggest surprise was getting to drive the tractor he had spent most of his teenage years trying to fix but never quite succeeded.

He was in the barn when Rokk appeared from nowhere. "Hi Clark."

He turned around. "Rokk!"

"I bet you feel at home. Have you managed to find out anything else that will help?"

Clark looked at him. "I thought you would see everything that happens."

"No, not from where we are. The only way we knew of the progress you made was through Imra reading your thoughts."

"I would appreciate if you would tell her to stop that."

"Kal-el, she has agreed to do so. She means well, but she is young and can be a little presumptuous at times."

Rokk paused, looking some what nervous. "There is one thing I need to talk to you about… your feelings for Lois."

"Am I that obvious?" he went red.

"Apparently Imra thinks there is something between you."

Clark chuckled. "Something, as in intolerance you mean…right? I will try and tone down the play fighting."

"No, she thinks you are falling in love with her." Rokk stuttered nervously.

Clark just stood there, his mouth gaping open in shock. "Yeah right. Don't tell me Imra has been reading my mind again because she wants to get her radar checked, as she is so way off."

"She has seen you two together, the way you look at each other." Rokk said. "Anyway I am here to tell you that you are endangering the one relationship that will matter in the future."

"You mean…Lana." He asked.

"Yes, you are soul mates." Rokk announced although hating to lie. They had decided they would try and wipe Clark's mind before his return to the present, so he told himself whatever he told Clark now would not matter.

"Well, tell Imra from me that there is nothing between Lois and me." Clark said, not entirely sure what else to say.

Rokk patted him on the back. "Ok, as long as you know where your destiny lies. And it may be better to not to tell Lois about our conversation." And with that he left.

Clark stood there, taking in the weird implication that Rokk had just made. He would never admit it, but deep down he was more excited by the fact that everyone thought he and Lois were in love with each other, rather than Lana being his soul-mate.

Were they right? He could not move forward until he discovered whether there was any truth in everyone's suggestion.

Lois sat in the apartment before heading to work. Her head was swirling with the notion that she had hidden feelings for Clark. She thought back about what she and Clark could have done that would have triggered people's opinion. It was so way off base…her and Clark…it was laughable. Or was it?


	5. Chapter 5

Lois could not concentrate on her work that morning, her mind kept wandering off. Martha soon noticed.

"Lucy, are you ok this morning?" Martha asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I've just got some things on my mind." She paused. "I don't know why but I am having doubts about my relationship."

"Oh honey….Don't let the trouble between Jonathan and me put you off. I can see fireworks between you and Tom, and I am not talking about bad ones. It is not the outward gestures you make to each other that tell me you are meant to be - it is the little moments I have witnessed between you two, the touches, the looks, the playful banter – all the signs of true love."

Lois was amazed and puzzled as to how everyone could see these signs except her and Clark. "Do you really think so?"

"I have always had a sixth sense for that type of thing. Trust me!" she smiled. "Maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself."

Lois decided to open up a little more about her concerns. "The problem is that he came out of a serious relationship just before getting together with me, and everyone always thought that they would stay together forever."

"Lucy, I cannot speak for other people. I can only tell you what I see. Why don't you tell Tom your concerns." She asked.

"I suppose I should, but I am worried that he won't give me the answers I want."

"Love is a risk!" Martha smiled. "But it is worth it!"

Just then Clark walked in. "Hi…" he said in a weird sheepish way.

Lois went all coy. "Hi…"

Martha looked at them both. "Look why don't you go to the Talon to see the new Ghostbusters movie which opens today. It is supposed to be good. It starts in 20 minutes."

Clark smiled. "Sounds like a good plan." He waited for Lois to get ready and they headed to the cinema.

He noticed how quiet and nervous she seemed about this, almost like they were on a first date. He was starting to believe what Rokk had told him. Maybe Lois did have feelings for him after all, making him wonder what he should do about it. His heart started to race a little faster at the thought.

Lois noticed Clark's face was starting to flush, and he seemed distracted. He had barely said a word since they left the café.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah fine…why wouldn't I be?" He replied in a defensive manner.

"You just seem distracted." She replied.

"I just have a few things on my mind, that's all." He commented.

They headed in to the cinema and grabbed some popcorn. It was quite busy for this time of the afternoon; in fact the only seats were at the back and a few right at the front.

He stopped her. "I think there are some seats in the front."

"Do you want me to get a crick in my neck? I promise to behave if you agree to sit at the back." She blew a kiss at him.

He froze and looked at her in terror. "Look maybe this is not such a good idea. I don't think I am in the mood for a movie."

"What is wrong with you today? I was kidding with you. You know like we do all the time." She said, as she could see him relax a little. She wondered if there was some truth in what Imra had told her.

They took a seat in the corner and Lois started to tuck into the popcorn. "I will leave you some. Have you seen this movie before?"

"Of course, hasn't everyone!" he replied, and seemed to calm down more.

"So how was it at the farm today? Did you find out anything?"  
>"No not really but I have convinced Jonathan to come to the dance tomorrow night. I told him that it may be a good chance to talk to Martha."<p>

"Well that is a start! I did not find out anything at all." She lied, not wanting to tell him about Imra's visit.

However much she tried to convince herself, she could not envisage a long term future for Lana and Clark. She was suspicious about why Imra had suddenly broken the rules of not giving any information about the future.

Lois had eaten most of the popcorn but decided to leave a little for Clark. She passed it to him but ended up dropping it all over the floor.

"What did you do that for?" he said abruptly.

"Clark, what is up with you?" she snapped back.

"Just leave it!" he got up and left the cinema without saying another word, leaving Lois sitting there in shock.

She followed him across the road and back to their apartment. She found him sitting watching the TV. He did not even look up to acknowledge her presence.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing…" he replied without even looking at her.

"It must be about something." Lois pushed, knowing it was probably going to back fire.

"Leave it."

"Clark, is it something I have done."

"Why is everything about you?" he shouted back. "If you must know it is about Lana."

Lois wished she hadn't asked. "I am going back to work now to see if Martha needs help."

"Fine." He snapped.

She walked out slamming the door, leaving Clark to wonder what the hell was going through his mind. It was about Lana but not in the way Lois thought. As he imagined his future, his thoughts about Lana seemed to be fading, only to be replaced by Lois…

Clark got up to follow Lois to the café but decided against it. He needed to sort his own complicated feelings out before he started to mess with her head. He chastised himself for losing his temper with her. Why had he done it? She had always poked fun at him, and it had never bothered him before. It was almost as though she was getting under his skin.

Martha could see how upset Lois was when she arrived. "What happened?"

"We just had a row and he mentioned his ex-girlfriend." Lois replied, still trying to work out why she was upset.

"Oh sweetheart. Are you sure he did not just say it in the heat of the moment?" Martha said trying to calm her down.

"I am not sure. It feels like if we go ahead with a relationship that we will never escape from his memories of her."

"Well there is only one way to deal with that. Give him some new memories so she becomes a ghost of his past. Do you mind if I go and talk to him?"

Lois looked at her and smiled. "Of course not!"

Martha took her apron off and headed over the road. She knocked gently on the apartment door, and Clark soon answered it.

"Mrs Kent!" Clark said surprised.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you about Lucy." She said.

He paused before standing back and signalling for her to come in. "Can I get you a coffee?"

"Ok…that would be great!" she smiled.

Minutes later he joined her on the sofa. "Is she ok?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"I think she is just feeling the spectre of your ex-girlfriend in your relationship." Martha explained. "If you think I am interfering, tell me."

"No, I appreciate your input." Clark replied honestly. Although he had rebelled numerous times against his parents over the years, he did value their opinion much more than he ever admitted to them. "The last thing I ever want to do is hurt her."

"I think Lucy needs to know that you have closure on your old relationship. She feels as though she is competing with your memories of your past."

"It is hard for me because all I had ever thought or had been told is that my ex and I were meant to be. To break away from that is hard. It took me by surprise when I realised I could have feelings for someone else. When Lucy came along it was like a breath of fresh air. She never questions me or pushes me, and most importantly of all she accepts me as I am. I think when she first came into my life, we just annoyed each other but deep down we were great friends, not that either of us would have admitted that." He smiled thinking back to some of their greatest confrontations, and how much he enjoyed winding her up.

"I have only known Lucy and you for two days, and I am willing to stake my life that you two are meant to be. Don't ask me how I know… I just do." Martha announced. "I can see how much she loves you and you love her."

This was confirmation for Clark. Over all the years with Lana, his mom had never commented about his future with Lana. Her comments were very much about the present state of their relationship.

He trusted his mom's intuition enough to challenge what Rokk had told him. This was going to be the biggest leap of faith he had ever made, but he was willing to risk everything on the opinion of this woman he had always loved and respected.

His heart started to race in anticipation of what could happen in the coming days and weeks. He just hoped Lois was willing to give it a try. "I really appreciate your advice." He said honestly.

"I am just want to see you two happy." She smiled.

"Since I took your advice, can I offer you some?"

Martha looked at him, and nodded. "You know that love you mentioned between Lucy and me, I think we will be lucky if we can get anywhere near the bond you have with your husband."

"I think you must be seeing things. Jonathan and I are not meant to be, we never were." She started to tear up.

Clark sat back, shocked by the anger and emotion in his mom's eyes. He knew that Lois and he had their work cut out to fix the timeline.

"Anyway I had better get back to the café." She got up and hurried out.

Clark followed Martha back to the café, where Lois was serving a couple and their child.

She saw him, and busied herself in her work. As soon as she had finished serving, she headed into the back room. Clark followed her…

"Lo… we need to talk." He said once he knew they were out of earshot of anyone else, but she continued to ignore him.

"Lo…please hear me out."

"Whatever it is, I am not interested. You can't snap my head off, and then come back all apologetic and expect me to forget it happened. Let's just get our job done, and you can go back to your nice cosy life with the Pink Princess. But one thing when she does break your heart again which she undoubtedly will, don't come to me for a shoulder to cry on." She said with definite anger in her voice.

He walked towards her, as she started to put some dishes in the sink. Without warning, Clark placed his hands on her waist and spun her around so she was facing him.

He looked at her… leaned towards her, and pressed his lips onto hers. Before he could find out what her reaction was, there was a loud clatter and then a scream from a child. Lois broke away from Clark, and ran to the counter to see what had happened.

"Don't you ever do that again!" the young woman shouted as she grabbed the child's hand. The young girl looked at the shattered glass on the floor and then up at Lois. Those eyes were unmistakable, and so were the crocodile tears.

Lois sighed. Even in this timezone, Lana had managed to come between Clark and her. She could see the look of shock on his face when he realised who the little girl was….

Clark could not believe the face staring at him right now. However it was not the same face that had haunted him from the cover of Time Magazine published just after the meteor shower. This was a happy and healthy child enjoying time with her parents, not aware of the horrific tragedy that would befall her and her parents in four months.

He could not take any more, he needed to leave. "Lo, I am sorry. I need to leave."

Lois watched him storm out the door. Martha had also noticed. "Go after him…"

She followed him home. "Clark, what is it?" she asked concerned by the upset on his face.

"Lo, how am I supposed to look Lana in the face knowing full well that I can save her parents from dying?"

Lois looked at him. "The same way I stop myself from picking up that phone over there to call my mom in Germany and warn her she needs to stop smoking to save her life." There were tears forming in her eyes.

She continued. "We need to change time in order to save millions of lives, but we cannot pick and choose who we save. We are not Gods!"

He hugged her tightly. "I know you are right but it does not make things any easier."

"If I made that call or you warned the Lang's about the meteor shower, the repercussions on the future could be huge."

She clung to him for a few moments before pulling back to look at him. "Why did you kiss me?"

"Because I wanted to." His eyes fixed on hers. "I wanted to know how it felt."

"So how did it feel?" she asked him.

"I don't know since we were interrupted before I could find out." He smiled.

"I'm waiting…" she smiled back, and she placed her hands on his cheeks to gently pull his face to hers.

Their lips met gently before turning into a deep and sensual kiss. After a moment or so, Clark pulled himself away to gauge her reaction.

"Are you ok?" he asked not knowing what else to say.

Lois was blushing. "Yeah…you bet. Are you going to regret this?" she asked.

"I don't know what is going to happen in the future." He joked.

"Very funny! What about Lana?"

"I know you may have trouble excepting the 180 I have just pulled, but every time I think of us, I get butterflies. Let's face it, Lana and I were never on solid ground; something always came between us. I really want to see where the next few weeks take us, and then when we return to the present we will have some decisions to make about the future, and whether we have one together. So let's just forget about Lana and our life in 2006. At the moment, all that matters is the here and now."

"I couldn't agree more." She smiled before gently kissing him again. "There is no rush! Let's take our time to explore our feelings."

Lois suddenly had a flashback of what Imra had said. "Clark, there is something you need to know. Imra came to see me and told me that we could not let our feelings for each other develop as your future was with Lana."

Clark smiled. "Rokk told me exactly the same thing, but something did not quite ring true. All along, we have been told that we must not find out anything about our futures or destinies so why the sudden change of heart."

"I felt that too. Why would they lie?"

"I don't know, but I am not going to base the rest of my life on what I have been told to expect of my future. Our future is not written yet, and there is no way I am going to let anyone else write it for me. I am going with my gut feeling, and at the moment it is drawing me to you. Mom told me that we were meant to be together and I value her opinion more than most."

"Your mom always was wise. What are we going to say to Rokk, Imra and Garth when they come visiting again?"

"Nothing! This does not have anything to do with them. Our mission is to ensure that my parents find me, and then we can go back to our lives in 2006." He said confidently.

"Can we go on our first date tomorrow?" Lois asked excitedly.

"Lo…shut up, I am an old fashioned gent. " he paused. "Ms Lane, would you do me the honour of coming with me to the dance tomorrow night."

She put on a posh voice. "I would love to, Mr Kent."

Lois changed her expression. "Mind you, don't think that this change of status in our relationship means that you will getting off the sofa."

"Perish the thought, Lois!" He joked but she noticed he seemed genuinely nervous at her suggestion. "I thought we were taking it slow."

"Don't worry, we are." She replied, not entirely convinced they would be able to keep to their plans…


	6. Chapter 6

Lois had been through the wardrobe six times, and was starting her seventh when Clark walked into the bedroom.

"Lois, how long can it take you to pick something to wear?" he asked, hoping not to get a slap for raising the subject.

"Clark, it's bad enough that I have to choose from 80's fashion, but I have never been to one of these shindigs before so I do not know what to expect."

"Lo, it is a casual affair – jeans and shirt will do just fine." He commented.

"Clark, I need some Levi's but I cannot find any in Smallville. These other jeans that I bought do not fit so well."

"Come here." He said, motioning with his finger. "I will take you to Metropolis now if you like. They will sell Levi's there."

Her face lit up and she kissed him. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course I will. I will do anything for you." He beamed. He had never felt this level of contentment with Lana. There had always been so many underlying issues throughout their relationship, that he had never felt totally happy.

He would always find it amazing that Lois had barely flinched at finding out about his origins and had never asked for a demonstration of his powers.

"Shall we go?" He asked.

She nodded, and then found herself speeding out the door at breakneck speed. Less than a minute later, they were stood behind the Daily Planet Building in Metropolis.

"God, Clark…that was amazing!" she hugged him. "Thanks for sharing that with me."

"My pleasure. Now let's go shopping." He grabbed her hand as if it was something they always did. Lois looked down and then nestled into his shoulder.

Three hours later, Clark was flagging. "Lois, how long does it take to find a pair of jeans?"

"It takes as long as it takes." She shouted over the top of the changing room door.

"Yeah I guess but this is the 13th store, and you know 13 is unlucky for some."

"Well, obviously lucky for me because I have found the perfect pair." She came out in a pair of 80's jeans but which could actually pass for a pair from 2006.

He got up and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. We can go now."

She pushed him back down. "Hold your horses, Smallville. Now I have to choose a color."

He looked at her in disbelief. "Well surely you will be getting blue."

"There are five shades of blue. Now which one to choose!"

Clark got up, pulled out a bundle of dollar bills from his pocket. "Look we will take all of them."

She smiled. "You are so romantic."

He managed a weak and begrudging smile at first, but he was soon grinning. "I know…."

It was almost five by the time they made it back to Smallville. "We had better start getting ready." He said.

She said. "Do you mind if I shower first?"

He smirked. "We can just share one if you want." He replied jokingly and soon wished he hadn't.

"Ok then. You're on!" she said eagerly.

He suddenly looked nervous. "I was only kidding."

"I know, but it is not such a bad idea." She replied.

"Lois, we agreed to take it slow."

"I know but… I must admit sometimes I find it hard to resist you." She headed towards him.

He backed off. "Lois, I am just going to grab some drinks from the store. I won't be long."

Clark headed off as quickly as he could, leaving a frustrated Lois to shower alone. She headed to the bed where she had her clothes lay out, so she could decide on her final choice of outfit. She did not want to disappoint Clark.

Clark noticed a limo outside the foodstore. He went in and noticed a familiar looking man and a ginger headed boy standing beside him at the counter. "Lex, just decide. You will never make that ruthless business man if you cannot make a simple decision over a chocolate bar. In fact, forget it, you can go without. You are getting a little on the heavy side anyway." His father announced cuttingly.

Clark just looked at Lionel as he dragged Lex past him.

Joel, the owner of the store greeted Clark with a smile. "Hi Tom, how are you finding life in Smallville."

Clark smiled. "I feel quite at home actually."

"Pity the same cannot be said for those Luthor's. They would flatten this town if they could but we cannot let them win. I feel sorry for little Lex; he must not have much of a life at that mansion." Joel remarked.

"I guess not." Clark commented, thinking of the evil person he would have ended up if Lionel had found him.

Clark started to look in the fridge for some drinks when a young woman approached the counter. "Hi, are you the owner of this establishment?" she announced in a live and bubbly voice.

Joel nodded. "What can I do for you?"

The woman thrusted her hand across the counter. "Hi, I am Star…no second name….just Star. I am doing some readings tonight at the Shindig, and I was wondering if I could put a poster in your window."

"Of course I can. So you are a writer." Joel replied naively.

"No, a psychic and fortune teller." She replied, beaming and friendly smile.

Joel looked at Clark with a puzzled and embarrassment look. "Oh, I am not well versed in that type of thing."

"Well, maybe you could come and have your palm read, or I could do the tarot cards with you."

"I don't think the wife will be too impressed if I do." Joel replied lightheartedly.

Star noticed Clark listening in. She went over to him. "Maybe you could have a reading tonight." She went to shake his hand, as she seemed to with everyone.

She paused suddenly. "Oh, you definitely have to have a reading. I think you could be very interesting. You are definitely not from around here are you?" she winked at him, and walked off.

Clark stood there in shock. Had she just been flirting with him or had she really seen something? One thing was sure, he was not going to attempt to find out…

Clark arrived back to the apartment, and when he heard the shower running, he knew he had no chance of getting in for at least another hour. He glanced at his watch, realising that they would be running late for the meal if she did not hurry up. He tried to shout and warn her that time was not on their side but she did not reply. All he could hear was the the words of Is this Love echoing throughout the apartment.

Normally Lois annoyed him when she sang but there was something different in this rendition. It was as though she was asking herself the question. He lay down on the bed and spent the next five minutes listening to the words, and he found himself questioning his feelings towards Lois. One word would describe Lois – she felt like home. There was something comforting, relaxing and welcoming about her; almost like arriving home to a roaring log fire on a cold winter's night.

He felt his stomach jump a little at the thought. His thoughts soon turned to the vision of Lois inthe shower. He checked himself for getting carried away; after all he had turned down the chance to experience a shower with Lois. He instantly regretted that decision and got a momentary feeling of impending doom that his relationship with her would go the same way as the one with Lana.

But then the realization hit him – Lois wanted him, and the responses from his body left him in no doubt that he wanted her. Even so, he knew Lois would never push him to take their relationship to the next level even if the frustration killed them both first.

He had always hidden behind his powers as the reason not to embark on a sexual relationship with Lana, but now he realised subconsciously that had just an excuse because it did not feel right. How could he have been that intimate with someone he could never be honest with, and by the same measure had never been completely honest with him? His relationship with Lois was the real deal; where both could bare their souls and lay all their secrets on the table without fear of anger or recrimination.

He could not completely put his fears of hurting Lois to one side, but for some reason he trusted himself, and more importantly he felt that trust was returned without question. He thought back to the flashbacks where he had seen a first-hand account of his father's relationship with Louise. Had Jor-el's powers hurt her… no they hadn't.

If his decision hadn't been made, it soon was when he heard muffled groans coming from the bathroom. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself He started to use his superhearing, not that he needed it for long.

Her moans were becoming more audible, as her pleasure levels started to increase and indeed Clark's. He knew he needed to act, but at the same time he felt he was intruding on her privacy.

He knocked on the door gently at first, but as before Lois was too caught up to notice the interruption. Becoming increasingly impatient, he pushed the door slightly.

"Lois, can I come in?"

He could feel her embarrassment at being caught. "Clark…this is not such a good time." She muttered from the shower.

He ignored her protests before off his shirt and tossing it on the floor. "Lo, I regret my earlier decision, can I join you?" He asked nervously, half expecting a rejection due to his earlier rebuff.

There was no reply… just the slight movement of the cubicle door as it opened. He could not see much as the escaping steam enveloped him.

"Lo, are you sure about …" but before he could finish, he felt an arm snake around his neck, and pull his head down violently.

Within seconds, her lips were on his, devouring every inch of his mouth.

The shower had been an intense experience for both Lois and Clark but they had moved the action to the bed for round two, then… suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Lois flopped onto Clark's chest. "God…bad timing. Who is it?"

Clark lifted his head up, and scanned the door. "It's Rokk and Imra."

"Fabulous. Guess we are not going to get rid of them quickly." She sighed.

"They don't look too impressed. I hope Imra is not reading my mind at this precise moment because I won't be responsible for what she sees." He smiled. "Why don't you go into the bathroom and pretend you have just got out of the shower."

She nodded, and did as he suggested. He used his superspeed to get ready in less than second before he went to answer the door.

"Come in…" Clark smiled, as he stood back to allow them to enter.

"Things are not going to plan. We are having problems jumping in and out of this time. There is some sort of rift which is affecting our ability to do this. Jor-el believes that this could get worse the longer it takes to put the timeline back to how it was originally." Rokk explained.

"You need to do everything you can to get your parents back on track, or we will have to accept the fact that life will change beyond recognition." Imra continued the bleak view of events. "As soon as we have confirmation that the timeline is restored, you will automatically jump without warning. We will bring Lois and you to the Fortress where we will wipe her memory before sending you back to 2006 to the precise time you left. Be careful not to change anything else, as even the slightest change could have a huge impact on the future."

Clark looked at Imra. "We have been through all this already. We will get the job done, as planned."

The three of them had been so caught up in their conversation that no-one had noticed the door was slightly ajar. Lois stood back from the door, still trying to digest the bombshell which had just been dropped but she knew she had to make an appearance.

"Hi…am I disturbing anything." Lois said as she breezed out of the bathroom.

"No of course not!" Imra announced. "This involves you too."

Lois almost laughed out loud at that comment, but was saving her outburst for Clark later. "So what's happening?"

Rokk smiled at her. "We are just giving Clark an update… he can tell you everything. We are going before Betty returns and questions us about who we are."

Lois grinned. "I must say your outfits don't exactly help you blend, and in the mad fashion world of the 80's that is really saying something."

Clark looked at her, wondering where her sudden sarcasm had come from.

Imra smiled. "We will be back in a few days unless you jump first."

They left. Clark went over to Lois, and placed his hands around her waist, and kissed her deeply. She was mad at him, but the pressure from lips was weakening her resolve. She felt him walking her backwards towards the bed. "Now where were we?" he said seductively.

She stopped him in his tracks, pushing him away gently with her hand. "Clark, wait a moment. I am going to get my cell phone. Hopefully there will be enough battery on it, so I can record this."

He stood there looking at her nervously. "You want to make a home movie." But then his face changed to a look she had first seen in the shower, as though he realised that would not be such a bad idea. "Ok then…"

Lois bit her lip nervously before unleasing her anger at him. "Yeah I thought we had better film it so I know we are lovers when we leap back to 2006. I would hate to forget."

Clark stood bolt upright, shocked by the combination of sarcasm and venom in her voice.

"Lo, what do you mean?"

"You forgot to mention the part about the plan to mind wipe me on the return to 2006. Nice of you to tell me." She vented.

"I can explain."  
>"Can you? Because from here, it does not look good. Don't tell me… you would remind me of events after we jumped wouldn't you?"<p>

Clark was so taken aback by her verbal assault that he made the mistake of pausing for a second or so to gather his thoughts. He needed to convince her that he would not hesitate in restoring her memory. She had captured his heart, and he would never let her go.

But it was too late, Lois had taken his silence as a 'no'. "Can I suggest a hypothetical situation? Say I turn out to be pregnant from our little tryst in the shower, what would you say to me when I could not work out who the father was, because I did not remember sleeping with you or anyone else for that matter?"

His stomach jumped nervously, but then he steadied himself. "Lo, I admit I would have gone along with the mind wipe for your sake, but now…everything has changed."

"I thought you told me your secret too easily." She interrupted.

"Lo, sit down, shut up and listen." He said in an authoritative voice which shocked her, making her fall back on the bed….

"I know this may be hard for you to accept but here goes. Three days ago I was in the barn waiting nervously to propose to Lana in the hope of saving a relationship which I thought was worth saving. Now here I am in 1985, with the woman who has annoyed the hell out of me on an hourly basis for the past 18 months. This has been a slightly overwhelming experience to say the least, and all I know for certain is one thing."

She looked at him. "What would that be?"

"That, you are my soul-mate…the only woman I have ever truly loved and will ever love."

Lois had only picked up two words in that last declaration – soulmate and love.

"Lo, our 'tryst' as you called it was much more than that to me. It was the answer to the one question I have always asked. 'Am I destined to be alone?" and now I know that I will never be alone whilst you are in my life. And if you are carrying our baby, then I will be shocked but we will face it together." He said his words with so much conviction that she was left in no doubt about his sincerity.

"Clark… before you panic about a baby Kal-el, I can safely say I am not pregnant. I only gave you that example to explain why taking away my memory was unfair. I could not bear to have these feelings ripped away from me. For the first time I feel at home, and I don't mean in Smallville at the farm, but wherever you are. I have never said this before to anyone…I love you…"

His heart melted at those last three words, and he held her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go.

"Lo, I will tell you everything when we jump back, although I may have problems convincing you that we are together. Maybe we should make that movie." His eyes glinted again at that suggestion.

She smiled. "Only on one condition, we can have a few rehearsals…when we get back from our first shindig."

He kissed her. "You are on!"

An hour later, they had finally managed to get ready. Lois looked amazing as always wearing her new pair of jeans and a white shirt. Clark put out his hand and waited for her to take it. They set off.

Martha was sitting at a table near the dance floor. "Hi guys. Please join me. Can I get you both a drink?"

Clark smiled. "No I will get them. Do you want a beer with lime?"

"How do you know I like lime in beer?" Martha asked.

He stuttered a bit. "I thought everyone around here drank beer with lime. They do where I am from."

"Are you over 21?" Martha asked.

"No, you have a point there." He smiled back.

"I'll get them." A familiar voice said from behind them. They turned around to see Jonathan.

"No, don't bother. I am fine with my soda." Martha exclaimed and turned her back to him.

Both Lois and Clark could see the pain on his parent's faces, both realising the hurt they were causing each other. Jonathan looked upset, and turned around and walked away. Clark smiled and followed him out of the building.

Lois stayed with Martha. "Are you ok?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, I will be fine. I can't turn off my feelings. We have so much history together and I love him so much it hurts." There were tears in her eyes.

"Would it not help to talk to him?" Lois suggested.

"I cannot look him in the eye after those things he said to me. Even if he had cheated on me, I think I would probably be able to work through it better. I have never seen so much hate and contempt in someone, and he made it very clear he meant every word."

Lois was lost for ideas. Whatever Brainiac had said to Martha had probably put her relationship with Jonathan beyond repair.

They were suddenly interrupted. "Martha, would you like to have this dance?"

Lois knew that voice anywhere.

"Lionel, would you mind if I declined your invitation?" Martha replied looking at Lois.

"Of course not! And who would this pretty companion of yours be? I don't think we have had the pleasure of meeting before."

"Lionel, this is my friend Lucy Mason. Lucy, this is Lionel Luthor." Martha smiled, as Lois felt Lionel take hold of her hand. She felt her flesh crawl, as he took hold of her hand and kissed it.

"Nice to meet you." She said through almost gritted teeth. "I would not expect to see such an influential man attend an occasion such as this."

Lionel was taken aback. "You know who I am?"

"Yes of course, your reputation precedes you." Lois announced, realising how prophetic that comment was.

"Martha, I was only passing by and noticed your car. I was wondering if you could come over to the mansion tomorrow so I can convince you to take that job. You would be such an asset to the company." He said enthusiastically.

Lois intervened. "I must say the Luthor Mansion looks amazing."

Lionel smiled. "Well, Ms Mason, why don't you come tomorrow and make sure I am offering Martha a good deal."

Martha nodded at Lois. "That's a great idea."

Lois realised this may be a chance to influence Martha's decision and convince her that taking the job was not such a good idea after all.

"Ok..why not!" Lois put on a false smile.

"Will you excuse me?" Lois said, deciding to go and see how Clark was getting on with his father.

On the way out, she passed a small Marquee which had been set up at the back of the hall. There was a sign… Readings by the one and only 'Star' ! Want to know the future… enter at your own risk!

Suddenly a couple appeared. The woman was ashen white, as though something had shocked her.

Lois stopped them. "Was it any good?" she asked the woman.

"She was… amazing. It was as though she could read my mind." She told Lois with enthusiasm.

Lois smiled unconvinced. "Well let's just see how good she is." She remarked under her breath and headed in to see what was in her future.


	7. Chapter 7

The inside of the marquee was very dark, illuminated only with a few small and well scattered oil lamps. Lois focused on the center of the room and noticed the outline of a person sitting at a table.

"Welcome!" the voice announced. "I am Star, and I can tell you your future." She said in a serious tone.

"Hi, I'm Lucy." Lois went over and shook her hand.

Suddenly a light lit up the table area. Star looked at her. "Ok…So would you like a palm reading or your cards read?"

"Which is the most accurate?"

"It depends. It is not an exact science after all." The serious voice had not softened to reveal a bubbly and excitable one. "Give me your hand. I have a feeling you are going to be interesting. Sit down."

Lois was still very sceptical but decided to have a laugh. There was no way Star could come up with a future for her, as there was not one in this time.

Star smiled and lay the cards out on the table. Lois could see the concentration on her face; obviously all part of the act. Her expression soon turned to concern. She remained silent.

Lois looked at her. "What is it?"  
>"I normally do not give true readings if there is any sadness in the future."<p>

Lois sat up, her heart rate increasing slightly although she was trying to convince herself it was all a load of rubbish.

"Sadness?" She asked concerned. "I want you to tell me."

Star gave her a serious look. "I see a snow covered scene and what looks like a graveyard. You are at a funeral. You are so sad."

"Who's funeral is it?"

"I cannot see, but there are many, many people there dressed in black. Everyone is sad."

"Well, it is a funeral." Lois joked trying to wipe away her increasing anxiety.

"Can you see anything else there?" she added.

"There is a tall dark haired man, holding a hand of a dark haired girl. They look like the main people at the funeral, along with an auburn haired woman. Wait a moment, the woman looks a lot like the person I saw sitting at one of the table out there. I am sure it is her but only much older." Star announced in a puzzled voice.

Lois was inwardly panicking, but determined not to show it. "Who am I with?"

"You standing next to a petit blond girl; you are holding her hand. There is such sorrow amongst the people, maybe most of all, from the auburn headed woman and the young dark haired man. "

"What does the man look like?"

"I cannot see, he has his head bowed. Wait a moment, he is lifting it up now…Oh my god."

"It is the man I saw in the food-store earlier today. I believe he said his name was Tom. It looks like he is going to lose someone he loves." Star announced with sadness in his voice.

"What else can you see?" Lois pleaded for more.

"The setting has changed, and I can see you are holding hands with a blond man. He is gorgeous, if I do say so myself. There is lots of green flashing through the scene, and now you are getting in a limo with this man, and he kisses you. He is one rich dude by the looks of it."

"I am going out with someone else?" Lois voiced in shock, not knowing how she could be with anyone but Clark.

"Not only going out with him, there is a massive diamond ring on your finger, but it is strange, all I can detect is sadness in your heart. You know he is not the one; he is second choice." Star replied.

All kinds of thoughts were going through her mind. Who had died and why was she not with Clark? She could not believe that he would break up with her after he opened his heart to her less than an hour ago.

"Have you got any more information?"

"I am losing my link with you." Star said, trying to desperately regain it.

"Can you give me any names?" Lois pleaded with her for more.

"I know you are called Lois, and the name which keeps being mentioned is Clark. You don't belong here, do you?" Star announced when her connection was ended.

"What do you mean?"

"The one thing I did see was the sign above the door where you were attending a charity party with the blond man and it said it was 2009. The cars were like something out of a sci-fi movie." She continued.

"Maybe I am an actress." Lois tried to make excuses.

"I would have felt you were acting but all I could feel was emptiness in your heart. It was as though half of you were missing. You are from a different time, aren't you? Don't worry I am very open to the existence of other worlds and galaxies. Time travel is explainable, so very possible at some point in the future. Take the man in your life at the moment – he is not from around here, is he?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I do not know where he is from but when I shook his hand at the store, I knew he was not human. He is powerful and has a great destiny ahead of him.

Lois smiled at her. "What do you want me to say to that?"

"I don't expect you to say anything. You are not exactly going to admit it to me, are you?"

"Star, I need more information. I can pay you whatever you need."

"Lois, I don't want any money. The link between us was broken so we have to wait a day or so before trying again. If I try now, I will not see anything."

"So you cannot remember anything else?"

"There was one odd thing I cannot explain. It seems that at some point in the near future that some of your memories cease to be."

"So, you are saying that it is as though my mind was wiped."  
>"That could explain it, but who would do that?" Star asked.<p>

"It is complicated, but I need to know more." Lois added. "Can we meet tomorrow morning? Say 10am. Come by Betty's B&B. Clark will be at the Kent Farm working. I will tell you more then."

Star smiled. "I will be there! I will do everything I can do help you."

Lois walked out of the marquee wondering what the hell had just happened. She did know Star very well but she trusted her for some unexplained reason.

Lois was going to go back outside to see if Clark was there, but she noticed he was sitting with his mom at the table. Jonathan and Lionel were nowhere in sight.

She went to join them. "Sorry, I got caught up chatting to someone." She told herself she was not lying… well not really.

"No problem." Clark smiled, as the next song came on. It was Lois's favourite. "Is this love?"

She looked at him, grinning. "Did you put this on?"

"Yeah…I thought you might like to dance." He got up, and held out his hand for her to take.

They worked their way through the few people slow-dancing on the floor.

"So what happened?" Lois asked him, as he put his arms around her and they started to move.

"I don't know what to do. My dad is obviously protesting his innocence but I cannot see any way of getting through to my mom. She is so hurt and angry." Clark replied.

"We will just have to keep trying." Lois smiled, putting his mind at ease.

"How do you do that?"

She bit her lip. "Do what?"

"You make me feel so calm. You just know me so well." He said, as he bent down and pressed his lips to hers, tenderly, as they continued to dance. "I don't ever want to lose you. I will tell you everything when we jump."

Lois looked at him. "You promise?"

"I promise, unless of course they wipe my mind as well." Clark joked.

Lois smiled but that idea started to work its way into her head. It was a possibility especially if they found out that Clark and she were together.  
>The more she considered the idea, the more she was convinced it was going to happen. She needed to find a way to leave a message for herself after the jump.<p>

"Are you ok?" Clark said, concerned at her trance-like state.

She focused on him. "Yeah I am fine. I am just thinking about tonight. I can't wait."

"Me too." He smiled.

He suddenly saw a flash go off in the distance. "Oh god, mom is taking our photo."

"I think she has been for a while." Lois said. "It is just that you have been too distracted to notice."

"I'll destroy the film later. I hope she has not got any valuable photos on the camera." Clark added.

"Clark, your mom has a meeting with Lionel tomorrow afternoon. I am going to go with her to try and convince her not to take the job. You are working at the farm tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yeah but I will try and make it back for lunch time." He announced. "I think we had better head back early tonight otherwise we may end up staying up too late." He winked at her.

Lois hoped Clark would be out of the way for Star's visit. She knew she needed to tell him but she was worried he would take the matter up with the Legion. The last thing Lois needed was for their suspicions to be aroused. She had worked out a plan.

After Whitesnake had finished, they headed back to the table where Martha was sitting talking to Betty. "She is not. I can tell you that now."

"But why are they getting married so young?" Betty asked, not realising that they were in ear shot.

"They are in love. Can you not see that?" Martha protested.

"Well I think she is pregnant and they are running from their parents. After all how much do you know about them. They have some strange visitors."

"Maybe you should concentrate on your own business instead of interfering in ours." Lois interrupted.

Betty got up and stormed off but not before shouting back. "I hope you won't have any trouble finding a new place to stay. I want my key back by 11pm or I will tell the sheriff and believe me he listens to everything I have to say."

Clark moaned and looked at Lois. Their plans for the night had been dashed. "Great work!"

"Well she deserved it. I am sure we will find somewhere to stay."

"What just before midnight, are you kidding me?" Clark smiled. However hard he tried to be annoyed, he just took one look at her, and couldn't be.

Martha stood up. "Go and see Jonathan. There is a spare room at the farm. I am sure he will still be up, stewing about our argument."

By the time, they had cleared their stuff out of the apartment and headed to the farm in the car that Martha had lent them, it was almost 11pm. Luckily they had phoned ahead and Jonathan had agreed immediately.

"I hope you don't mind us crashing?" Clark announced as he grabbed Lois and his stuff. He was amazed how they arrived in 1985 with nothing but she seemed to have acquired so much already, but that was one of the quirks he loved about her.

"No, to be honest the farm has been quiet since Martha moved out. Anyway it means you will be on time in the morning." His dad joked with him.

They went into the house. "Ok, you can put your stuff in the spare room. Go to the top of the stairs and turn left. The bathroom is just the next door along." Jonathan explained.

Lois grabbed the stuff out of Clark's hand and started upstairs in a hurry. "I get the bedroom."

Jonthan looked at her with a puzzled look. "You can share. It might have been a different story if one of you was my child, but you are not, so it does not matter."

Clark realised how weird this was going to be….

Clark and Lois headed upstairs to the somewhat bare second room. "This is weird." He said once the door was closed. "It looks nothing like my room."

Lois smiled. "I know it is missing two things – a plaid bedspread and the Elmer Fudd nightlight."

He laughed and kissed her.

She responded for a second before pushing him off. "If you think you are going to get your way tonight, you are mistaken."

"All I did was kiss you." He protested playfully.

"That where it starts." Lois replied.

"Which side of the bed do you want?" he asked. "We had better go to bed soon, as I have to be up early."

Lois suddenly remembered that she was meeting Star in the morning, so she would have to find an excuse to leave the farm.

There was a knock at the door. Lois went to open it. "I am going to bed now. Can I get you anything?"

"No, we're good. Thanks again for letting us stay." Clark announced. "We were a bit stuck anyway."  
>Jonathan smiled. "Well you are better off away from Betty and her gossip-mongering. Treat this house like your own."<p>

"Thanks." Lois hugged Jonathan, and almost froze when the realisation hit her. He had been the only one not present in Star's vision of her future. It was so obvious but she had been so caught up in the mind wipe theory that she had not given it much thought. She needed to find out when the funeral was going to happen.

She held him tightly, before Jonathan pulled away and gave her an odd look. "Ok then, I am off to bed."

Once in bed, Clark was definitely in the mood for some fun, but Lois was not comfortable with the idea. "I always thought you would be the one refusing to do anything in your parent's house."

He smiled, and then nuzzled into her neck. He started to trail kisses down her neck, moving her nightie strap out of the way. She intercepted him and moved it back into place. "Clark, let's leave it until tomorrow. Maybe your dad will go out for an hour or so."

He sighed disappointed. "I am sorry, Lo. Until tomorrow then…" He kissed her before spooning her.

It took a while for Lois to fall asleep as she had so much going through her mind, mainly the fate of Clark's father. She knew they were not supposed to change history, but this was the future. How far into the future, she needed to find out.

When Lois woke up at 8am, Clark was nowhere to be seen. She got up and looked out the window to see him loading up the tractor. She took one of her quick showers and after an hour or so headed downstairs to see him.

"Morning honey." He said, making her stomach flip at the term of endearment. She kissed him, making him turn his attention away from the tractor to deepen their exchange.

"I hope you are not distracting one of my workers." Jonathan shouted as he approached them. "Listen I need to head into town to sort some finances out at the bank. I will be back in an hour or so."

"Ok…" Lois tried not to sound too excited and looked at Clark who had exactly the same idea, but then she realised she was pushed for time. She had to meet Star at 10am in town. "Jonathan, I need to return Martha's car and have a few errands to run. Would you mind if I caught a lift back with you?"

"That's fine. I have the meeting at 10.30am and I will be in for an hour or so. Say I pick you up outside the movie theatre at 11.30." Jonathan replied.

His dad headed off in the truck, leaving a very confused Clark in his wake. "Lo, I thought I could take a break now and you know…"

Lois could see the disappointment on his face. "I am sorry but I have to be somewhere."

"Lo, what is going on?" he asked. "You have been acting edgy since last night. There is something you are not telling me."

She took a deep breath. "Ok…You have to promise if I tell you that you will not freak and go off on a one man mission to sort things out."

He looked at her, confused. "What is it?"

"Promise first and I will tell you." She replied.

"Ok, I will promise because I trust you." He grabbed her hand and led her into the house.

"There was a fortune teller at the Shindig last night and I thought it would be interesting to get a reading on my future to prove that she was a fraud. Anyway she knew my name and saw some visions of my future."

"You are talking about Star, aren't you? Lois, can we trust her?" Clark asked in a panic, worried this could blow their cover.

"I don't know why we should, but I do."

"What did she see?"

"A few jumbled scenes and then one of me being married or engaged to some blond rich guy."

"Well she is talking trash. I am sure we will be together forever unless I die or something." He realised it was a possibility.

"No, I am sure the Legion wipe your memory and you go and get back with Lana, as is meant to happen according to their version of events. They were so against us getting together that a mind wipe would make sense."

Clark paused for a second. "Are you sure about this?"

"No, but it makes sense, otherwise how would you end up with Lana." Lois replied. "I am meeting Star at 10am to try and find out more."

"She saw something when she shook my hand in the store, didn't she?" Clark pondered out loud.

"She realised you were not human although she did not find out anything else about you."

"So what are we going to do about it, if it turns out to be true." Clark asked her.

"I have a plan. You are going to have to trust me on this one." She hugged him. "I am going to head into town now."

"I always trust you, Lo and I appreciate your honesty." He cupped her chin and kissed her gently. "I will take a rain check on the other thing, well for now anyway." he replied playfully.

She headed into town, deciding she would only tell Clark about the other vision of the funeral if she could confirm her suspicions about his father's death.


	8. Chapter 8

Lois got into town ten minutes early to intercept Star before Betty Gibson saw her and decided to get her claws into her.

She saw Star approaching the building. "Star, over here!" she said just loud enough for her to hear.

"Lois, what are you doing hiding in a bush?"

"I will tell you everything when we find somewhere more private."

"Come with me." Star motioned for her to follow her. "I have somewhere."

Lois followed curious. They walked to the food store and then headed to the car park around the back. Lois almost stopped in her tracks when she saw the large motor home with the side covered with stars and emblazoned the words "Star's Psych-Mobile"

"You're not one for subtlety, are you?" Lois smirked.

"It's just an advertisement. You certainly know when I have rolled into town."

Lois climbed into the motorhome to find a small but neat living area. "This is actually cosy."

"I know. It is home from home. Do you want a coffee?"

"Yeah that would be great!" Lois replied. "We have moved out of the B&B after my little spat with the owner. "

"Where are you living?"

"At Clark's parents farm. Not that they know he is their future son. I guess this must be really weird to you."

"Not really. As I said yesterday…nothing surprises me. So why are you here? In 1989 I mean."

Lois told Star as much as she could about Clark, and his parents without going into details about the impending meteor shower.

"So basically you have to get Clark's parents back together so they can find him when his spaceship lands. If not an evil man will adopt him, putting the whole world at risk." Star paraphrased.

"In a nutshell!" Lois smiled. "The only thing is that the reunification of Martha and Jonathan Kent is not going as planned. The other problem is the fact Clark and I are not destined to be together."

"How do you know?"

"We were told by the people from the future that he and his girlfriend Lana were meant to be together. He was just about to propose to her before we were transported back here."

"Lois, your destiny is not written yet. The mission you have been sent back in time for just goes to prove that things can change. " Star reassured her.

"Well it does not matter anyway. We are too far gone to turn back now. I love him and I don't know what I would do without him." Lois replied. "I am worried that they are going to wipe our memories. Can you do anything about that?"

"I can put you under by hypnosis and try to bury those memories, much like repressed memories. If you tell me the exact time when you jumped here, I can meet in the future to try and bring them out."

"That is a crazy far-fetched idea… but I love it." Lois grinned. "Could you do the same to Clark?"

"No…I could not get a strong enough connection with him. If I put you under, I will try to see more of your future, as often the visions are stronger when you are hypnotised, as there are no other thoughts getting in the way."

Lois nodded. She lay down on the sofa, and waited for Star to start. "I have always thought I would be immune…" Before she could finish she was knocked out.

"Obviously not that immune.." Star laughed to herself.

It took a few moments, but she was soon witnessing Lois's thoughts as if they were playing on a TV screen in front of her. There were a few unrecognisable scenes then a moment of silence before all of a sudden all hell broke loose. There were huge fireballs coming from the sky, hitting the ground all around in the distance. Star could feel the panic in Lois's body in the speed she was travelling and the pounding of her heart. All of a sudden, the view changed towards the sky, and the huge fireball heading right towards Lois. Then, there was a loud scream, and then nothing…just blackness.

Star's eyes opened, and she sat up, her own heart pounding from what she had witnessed. Whatever the hell had just happened, it was the end of Lois's memories and that could only mean one thing – her death.

Whilst Star was trying to decipher what she had just witnessed, she started to work on keeping Lois's memories intact through any mind-wipe. It took her a while as her mind kept switching back to the terrifying clip from Lois's mind.

Star knew she had to recompose herself, something she was normally expert at when she had needed to cover up unfavourable future predictions for other clients. This time it was harder, as although she had only known Lois for a short time, she had come to think of her as a friend.

She would do everything to prevent Lois meeting such a horrific end, but she knew that telling her would be too dangerous and could influence her future actions. She needed to find out more so she could intervene.

Star brought Lois around. "Star…." She stirred, still half out of it with her eyes closed.

"Just relax, Lois. It may take some time to get back to normal."

"What did you see?" Lois asked.

"We will talk about it when you are fully with it."

Star got up to make Lois a coffee. "Here you go! This should help." She smiled as she handed it to Lois.

Soon Lois was alert again and desperate for information. "So come on…put me out of my misery."

Star leaned forward. "I am so sorry but I did not see anything clearly enough to decipher. It was all a bit of a blur… but I think I have protected your memories."

Lois paused for a second, trying not to show her bitter disappointment. "That is ok… Thanks for trying. I guess we could try again, although you will be heading out of town soon."

Star smiled. "Actually I thought I would stay for a few days; this town kinda grows on you."

"That will be nice." Lois replied, not entirely convinced by Star's explanation and reason for staying…

Clark was moving hay in the barn ready to take it out to the pastures to feed the horses and cattle but he was distracted by a noise behind him. He turned around to see Lois approaching with a very strange look on her face. It was one of intense concentration and she was focusing on one thing – him.

She did not speak. As soon as she was in reach she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him onto a nearby bale of hay. He did not put up a fight, his exciting rising at the thought of what Lois had planned. She straddled him and started to carry out her planned seduction.

Clark gulped deeply, both nervous and excited at the same time about the prospect.

An hour later…

"My dad is pulling up." He had panic in his voice, but still managed to kiss her deeply again as he sat up in a pile of hay in the loft. Somehow during their marathon make-out session, they had ended up there, although neither of them could explain how.

"To be continued…." She whispered seductively in his ear just as he helped her up.

They quickly brushed off the hay from each other, and Clark sped Lois into the house and he got on with his work.

Jonathan entered the barn. "My god, you are a quick worker. I noticed you had managed to fix that outer paddock fence already. Are you sure you don't want a permanent job?"

"I learnt from my dad. He is the best!" Clark said proudly.

"I bet he thinks highly of you too. There aren't many 18 year olds who would knuckle down without complaining." He patted Clark on the shoulder.

"Let's head in for some lunch." His dad said.

Lois was already squirrelling away cleaning in the kitchen. She needed to cool herself down after her session with Clark. He was so hot! How could she have missed that for over a year? She craved him…

"Be careful not to rub too hard , Lucy. There won't be much left." Jonathan laughed when he noticed how she seemed to be cleaning the bench in one spot. "Look, you don't have to clean. You are my guest."

"I need to earn my way."

"You're working with Martha and being a friend to her…that is all that matters to me." He smiled.

Clark looked at Lois with her little apron on, and suddenly imagined her in a French maid's outfit. He suddenly collected his thoughts, shocked by the effect his new girlfriend was having on him. Lana was now a distant memory, so much so that his time with Lois was filling his thoughts. It suddenly hit him, what love was….not infatuation and obsession….but real love. He would do anything for her, and the song she was humming gave him an idea.

Jonathan headed out to the truck to unload it.

"Do you want some help?"

"No it's fine." His dad smiled at Clark's offer. "You sit down, and have some of the pie in the fridge. It is one of Martha's famous meat pies."

As soon as they were alone, Clark leaned over and overpowered her with his lips. She responded, her hand automatically reaching up his shirt. They were getting carried away, and did not hear Jonathan come back in with a visitor.

Clark looked over and realised both his parents had walked in on his exchange with Lois. He felt his face go red. "Sorry…"

"There is no need to apologise." Martha replied.

"Oh, Martha . I am so sorry." Lois looked hassled, and glanced at her watch. " I was supposed to meet you by the main road."

Clark could see Lois had been planning this all the time to get his parents in the same room.

"It's ok. You don't have to come to the meeting if you have other plans." Martha announced seriously. Jonathan smirked.

Lois was crimson now, and looked sheepishly at Clark. "It's ok. I am coming. Can you give me two minutes to put some make-up on?"

Martha looked at Jonathan. "I am sure I can."

Her husband looked nervous, as though they were on a first date. "Have a quick cup of coffee!"

Martha looked back. "Ok, just a quick one!"

Lois motioned for Clark to follow her. "Tom, the zip is stuck on one of my bags. Could you see if you can do anything with it?"

He smiled. "I am coming." He excused himself and followed her upstairs.

Jonathan laughed uncomfortably. "Either they are playing matchmaker or are going to continue what we interrupted."

" I would go with your first option." She smiled, but then turned serious.

"So where is your meeting?" he tried to break the silence.

"At the Luthor Mansion… Lionel has offered me a job as an advisor."

"Is that such a good idea?"

"You mean that you don't think I am capable of doing the job." Martha suddenly got defensive. "There is more to me than being a farmer's wife."

Jonathan tensed up in his chair. "You know I did not mean that."

"Didn't you? I am starting to wonder if my father was right about me making the biggest mistake of my life when I gave everything up to marry you."

"Martha, I love you more than anything, and if you wanted to get a job, I would encouraged it, but not with Lionel Luthor. He can't be trusted."

"Jonathan, after those cruel things you said to me, you have no right to voice any further opinions about my life. You made your opinion very clear." There was a mixture of devastation and anger on her face.

"Martha…that was not me. I could never say anything like that."

"Well unless you have a doppelganger or a twin I do not know about, it was you." She replied with venom. "Anyway just so you know... I am going to consult a lawyer on Monday and start divorce proceedings."

Clark and Lois stood at the bottom of the stairs in shock. How on Earth could they turn this situation around and get back to the time where they belonged…

Lois could see the devastation in Martha's eyes as they drove away from the farm. Her plan had completely backfired and she was at a loss about what the next step should be. She had to discuss matters with Clark when she got back, otherwise the unthinkable could happen. It was not only the threat to the Earth's future which made her shudder but also the thought of the man she loved being brought up and turned into a monster by the man she was about to meet.

The Luthor Mansion had not changed much from the outside, it was still old and cold looking fifteen years from now. The security was not as secure as it was in the future; no doubt due to the fact that the Luthor's were not badly as thought of in this time. It was after the meteor shower that they would tighten their grip on the town, and gain the wrath of the population of Smallville.

"Martha, are you ok?"

"I am fine. I want to believe him so much but I don't think I can. There is no other explanation."

Lois had an idea, albeit a crazy one. She needed to find out more about that night when Brainiac confronted her as Jonathan. She decided to leave it until after the meeting, as they had just pulled up at the mansion. One of the security guards opened their doors.

"Ms Mason and Ms Clark…welcome. I will show you to the drawing room where Mr Luthor is waiting for you."

Lois grimaced at the sound of the guard using Martha's maiden name, but Martha did not react.

They were led through a maze of corridors until they finally came to some large wooden doors. The guard pushed them open to reveal the drawing room which Lois had visited on several occasions. In fact the only thing which differed from 2006 was the size of the computer on the desk. It was huge, and made Lois laugh at how portable it would be.

Lionel was tapping away on the computer keyboard when he heard the doors open. He got up, and greeted Martha with a friendly but rather creepy hug. He headed towards Lois who stuck her hand out before he had the chance to get other ideas.

"Can I get you two ladies a drink?"

"I'll have a coffee. " Martha smiled. "Lucy?"

"I'm fine…thanks!" Lois replied, not meaning to let Lionel annoy her but something about him made her act that way.

Lionel went over the desk and phoned for some coffee to be brought.

"Have a seat!" he pointed them over to the two Chesterfield sofas at the other side of the room.

"Lionel…I would appreciate it if you referred to me by my correct name. My name is Kent…not Clark."

"I am so sorry Martha. I just assumed that you would be going by your maiden name especially with your unfortunate break up with your husband."

Martha did not give Lionel any more ammunition. "I am still Martha Kent."

"Ok, forgive my ignorance. So should we get down to business."

"Let's!" Martha sat forward to take the folder that Lionel was handing to her.

"I am not a man of many words. I like to let figures do the talking. As you will see this job role comes with very attractive benefits." Lionel sneered.

Martha took in the information before passing it to Lois to have a look. Lois almost died of shock when she saw the $80,000 per year salary plus many other benefits. That was an amazing in 2006 for that kind of job, but in 1989 it was unbelievable. How could Martha refuse the offer and even worse was the fact that this would drive an even bigger wedge between Jonathan and her. Clark had told Lois about the rows his parents used to have when Martha had spent some time working for the ruthless billionaire.

"So Martha, how does the contract seem to you?"

"It seems very generous but I will be taking some time to think over my decision. I will let you know by Wednesday."

Just then they were interrupted by the giggles of an excited child bursting into the door. "Father, can I show you my painting?"

If looks could kill, Lex would be dead from the icy stare his father was giving him. "Alexander… go to your room and I will deal with you later. Where is your nanny?" he shouted.

Lois could almost have cried from the look of utter devastation on Lex's face. She stood up, and walked over to him. "Hi, I'm Lucy. Can I come and see your painting?"

Lex's face lit up. "Father?" he muttered quietly, visibly shaking in anticipation of his father's reaction.

Lois smiled at Lionel, making him back down immediately.

"That is so nice of you to offer, Ms Mason. I am sure Alexander would be delighted to show you his artwork. " Lois could see the annoyance in his face at having to do a u-turn in front of guests.

Lois grinned. Lex took her hand and led her off down the corridor.

They had only been in Lex's room a few minutes when Lionel arrived. "Ms Mason, I hope Lex is not boring you too much. I have just left Martha considering my offer."

"Mr Luthor, you must be proud of your son's obvious talent." Lois pointed in the direction of the easel.

Lionel ignored the question and did not even take a look at the painting. "I think we had better be heading back to Martha."

Lois followed but not before smiling at little Lex who was pleased that someone had bothered to take an interest in him.

As they walked down the corridor, Lionel turned to her. "May I ask how you managed to become so influential in Martha's life. You have been in Smallville for less than a week and she is treating you as though you are her most trusted advisor. Tell me, Ms Mason… does she know about your previous employment?" he asked.

"What employment?"

"I don't know what the term is these days… but I have always used the word…Hooker!"

She glared at him in shock. "You think I am a working girl."

"I don't think… I know." He replied. "And one with expensive tastes from what I hear especially when it comes to white powder."

Lois was speechless. She did not know what Rokk and the other legion members had used as her identity but she hoped they would be a little cleverer than making her a streetwalking drug addict.

"Maybe we could get together later. You are much more attractive than what the agency usually sends me." He announced. "And if you refuse me, I will make sure that Martha finds out all about you."

Suddenly Lionel was interrupted by a voice. "There is no need, Lionel. Lucy has already told me about her past and it means nothing to me. " Martha looked at Lionel, lifted up her hands and tore the contract right down the middle.

"And I have decided I do not want to work for someone who resorts to blackmail to get what he wants."

Martha left Lionel in complete shock, took hold of Lois's hand and led her to the car...


	9. Chapter 9

"God this is awkward." Lois blurted out whilst Martha drove them back towards Smallville.

Martha gave her a reassuring smile. "Honey, if you want to talk about it, I am listening, but that is up to you. I am pleased I have seen Lionel for the person he really is. I hate the way he treats his son; it is so heart-breaking to watch his little face crumble into disappointment when his father repeatedly rejects him. "

Lois grimaced. "I would say Lex will grow up with some major issues. I don't know what to say about the working girl thing, except it is not true and I have never taken drugs in my life…. Well apart from one joint at a party last year. Actually Clark is my first serious boyfriend."

"Clark?"

Lois stayed calm, and took a deep breath. "Sorry I mean, Tom. I am getting confused with your maiden name."

"Do you want me to take you back to the farm?"

"Yes… that would be great."

"Lucy, for what it is worth, I believe you, and even if all that gossip was true, it would not make any difference to me."

Lois smiled, as they continued along the road.

Meanwhile at the farm, Clark was just finishing up his chores. Although he was trying not to use his powers, he could not help himself and ended up cutting a few corners whenever Jonathan went out.

"Tom, do you need a hand with anything?" Jonathan asked as he entered the paddock.

"No, I am almost done!"

"I thought we could get takeout tonight." His dad suggested.

"Actually I meant to tell you that Lucy and I will be away for the night as I have managed to score some tickets to a band out of town. How about we shout you dinner tomorrow night to say thank you for your hospitality?"

"That sounds great." Jonathan smiled and patted him on the back.

Just then, Martha's car drove up to the farmhouse. Lois got out. "Are you sure you don't want to come in for a coffee?"

"No,thanks!" Martha looked at Jonathan. "I will give it a miss. Thank you for coming with me."

She headed off, much to the disappoint of Jonathan.

"I am just going to pop into town for a few items." His dad announced as he climbed into his car.

As soon as he had left, Clark turned to kiss Lois but noticed the look of anger on her face.

"Right…. I want to see the Legion now. You said you could call for them anytime." Lois stated.

"Lo, what has happened?"

"You will find out…." She replied.

Clark went up to the barn where he had hidden the Legion Ring. Although he had been told that it would only transport them back once his parents were back together, he was still nervous about handling it. He pressed the ring and said the names of the Legion members.

Rokk and Garth appeared within seconds. "What has happened?"

Lois did not speak , but without warning she launched a punch at Rokk. "You…"

Clark managed to intercept her hand. "Lois, let's not resort to violence." He said trying to calm her down.

"So you are as hot headed as your reputation describes." Garth announced, but then panicked when he saw the unimpressed look on Lois's face at his attempt at humour.

"Why did you make me a hooker?"

Clark shot a look of puzzlement at Lois. "What do you mean?"

"Lionel has been digging up my past or should I say the past of Lucy Mason, and it turns out she is a drug addict who works the streets."

Clark glared at a guilty looking Rokk. "We're waiting!"

"You have to understand that having that vocation often makes it hard to be traced. After all working girls tend not to advertise their job to their friends and family. I did not expect anyone to look so much into your background. Of course, if you were keeping a lower profile, Ms Lane, maybe this would not have happened."

Lois's frosty glare was getting even icier. "Don't you turn this back on me! We are doing everything we can to change history back to the way it should be. Anyway let's face it, it was an event from your time which originally changed the timeline, so if you want someone to blame, I think you should be looking a little closer to the 31st Century."

Rokk could not fight back. "Ok, can we put an end to this and just discuss what your plan is?"

Lois told them her plan to get Martha and Jonathan back together. Clark looked at her in disbelief. "Lois, that could make things worse. What happens if it backfires?"

She smiled at him. "And do you have a better plan?"

Rokk interrupted. "Actually I think that could work. When are you putting it into action?"

Lois could not believe what she was hearing; Rokk was actually agreeing with her. "Well Martha is heading out of town for 5 days or so, so it will be a perfect opportunity to convince Jonathan it is the way forward."

Clark shook his head. "I get a bad feeling about this."

"Stop being so pessimistic…" Lois grinned at him.

Rokk and Garth looked at one another. "We are heading back to the Fortress. Hopefully within the next week, you will both be safely back in 2006 getting on with your lives as though nothing has happened." They disappeared.

Clark led Lois down the stairs from the hayloft. "I think you are right to have suspicions about them wiping our minds. I just hope Star's mind trick has worked on you, I never want to forget what we have…"

As he said that, she whispered. "Time for a sequel."

His mischievous grin said it all. He picked her up and sped her into the house.

"Where are you taking me?" Lois asked, as she knelt on the end of the bed, trying to convince Clark to tell her.

"Lo, why do they call it a secret?" he replied, attempting to keep a straight face.

"I'll let you come back to bed if you tell me." She fluttered her eyelids at him, but it was not having any effect.

"Tempting, but no…." he smiled at her.

"When are we leaving?" she asked.

"In 10 minutes."

She jumped off the bed. "My god, I need to pack."

"Lo…calm down." He put his hands in the air to stop her. "All your clothes are at the hotel."

"All of them. "

"You don't exactly have many…well not in this time anyway. Of course, 2006 is a different matter." He smirked.

"I am going to have a quick shower."

Clark looked at his watch and noticed it was already 5pm. Luckily the place they were heading was on the same time-zone. "Keep it under 30 mins." He shouted after her, as she headed into the bathroom.

An hour later, she appeared from the bathroom, her hair dripping went. "Stand still." He ordered.

She did as he said, completely puzzled. Clark blew gentle for a moment or two until her hair was dry. "We need to go now or we are going to be late."

She opened her towel playfully. "Does it really matter if we are late?"

"For me…no, but for you…yes." He replied cryptically.

"Ok. I get it. You would not turn me down unless it was important."

"We have plenty of time for that at the hotel later." He grinned.

Lois was finally ready by 6.10pm so he picked her up, and told her to close her eyes. She was excited by the mystery and wondered where they were going to end up. Minutes later, she felt her feet making contact with the ground once again.

"Keep your eyes shut until I tell you." He said.

She could hear lots of people milling about and cars driving past. She realised they were walking up a small ramp. They went through some doors where she was faced with the smell of burgers. "You brought me to a burger bar, didn't you?"

"You can open your eyes now."

She slowly opened them unsure of what to expect. The first thing she noticed was how busy the restaurant was. Clark took her hand and led her to an empty booth in the corner. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"

Lois smiled. "Yeah… I am starving after my workout this afternoon." She stretched her hand out to pick up the menu.

"Don't…" Clark ordered. "Just tell me what you want. It sells the usual burgers."

"Ok, I'll have a cheeseburger and fries with a coke." She replied, enjoying the mystery. There was an atmosphere in the place, but she did not know why. Everyone seemed to be on some sort of high, although they were anticipating something.

The waitress came and took their order.

"So when are you going to tell me where we are?"

"You will have to wait."

"I am more interested in your checkered history." He grinned. "You never told me about your vocation in life."

"Clark, that is not funny. When I realised that your mom had overheard what Lionel had said, I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me." She was red.

"So you haven't been such a busy girl." He continued his teasing.

"No, you are the only one."

He was surprised. "I thought you had some serious boyfriends."

"Oh I did, but my father's presence was always enough to deter them from making a move on me."

"I hope he does not find out about us." Clark replied, actually nervous at the thought of a confrontation with the General.

"He will be fine… as long as he never finds out." She said with a concerned look on her face and then as soon as she saw the panic on his face, she started to laugh. "Your face is a picture!"

"Lo, don't worry me like." He remarked. "Anyway, I am still not convinced about your plan to get my parents back together."

He realised his relationship with Lois was so much more equal than it had been with Lana. With her, he would not have dared question her for fear she would leave him. He could challenge Lois's judgement without that fear. After all, Lois gave as good as she got.

She rolled her eyes at him. "So are you telling me that your mom is going to accept that your dad was impersonated by an alien android with evil intentions?"

He thought for a moment. "I guess not! But there has to be another way."

"Your dad needs to change tact and admit to something he did not do. He can pretend he was really drunk that night and was pissed at her father's interference."

"He won't go for that!"

"Clark, your parents have spent years dishing tough love out to you, now this is your chance to dish it back. Tell him like it is. He loves Martha more than anything and if he thinks this is the only way to get her back, he will do it."

He sat back, knowing she had won him over. "Ok, you're right, but he is going to have to do some major grovelling."

"Yes, he will, and then some…" She was distracted when she noticed a man approaching the table with a pile of t-shirts in his hand.

"Hello, mom. Would you like on?"

Clark grabbed his wallet and gave him a $20 dollar bill. "We will have one!"

The man smiled and handed Clark a t-shirt. As the man left, Lois stood up briefly and looked over the top of the seat. She realised that half the people were wearing the same black t-shirt. Then she saw it… the familiar cobra's head on the front of them.

"Oh my god." She looked back at Clark with her mouth gaping wide open. She looked at the t-shirt. It was a Whitesnake t-shirt.

"Clark, thank you. You have bought me to a Whitesnake convention, haven't you.? I have always wanted to go to one of these." She shrieked with excitement.

He just looked at her in amazement. "Lois, what is the date?"

She thought for a moment. "It is Sunday the 18th June 1989."

"Where are we?" Clark asked.

"I don't know…Metropolis." She guessed then she took the menu off him, and studied it for any clues of their whereabouts.

She was shocked to read 'Doris's Diner….The best burger bar in Houston.'

"Clark, you are so sweet. You bring me all the way to Texas to hang out with some Whitesnake fans. I love you!" She leant over the table and kissed him.

All of a sudden, a girl shouted out. "The doors are about to open." A cheer went up in the room.

"Doors to what?" Lois asked, completely perplexed.

"Lois, look at the back of your t-shirt." He ordered.

She straightened it out and noticed a list of dates from the Slip of the Tongue US Tour. She scanned down until she noticed the words '18thJune…..Houston Astrodome!'

She screamed!


	10. Chapter 10

"I don't know how to top that Clark but I know how I can partially pay you back." Lois said as they arrived at their hotel suite. She was on a total high from the concert.

Clark kissed her passionately. "I will accept what you are offering as full payment."

"How do you know what I am offering?" she teased as she started to unbutton his shirt. "You make it sound like Lionel was right about me."

"I know different, but maybe we could role play one time." He moved her back towards the bed.

She smirked. "Once upon a time, I thought you were an innocent plaid obsessed farmboy when really all along you have been a Kryptonian with a very imaginative and dirty mind." She fell back on the bed waiting for him to join her.

The following morning, Clark woke up to hear the shower running. He looked at his watch and noticed it was past 10. He thought about joining her but knew it was a bad idea.

Minutes later, she appeared, wrapped in a towel. "Morning…" she smiled as she walked past the bottom of the bed to the closet. Clark noticed a pre-occupied look on her face.

"Why didn't you wake me?" He asked. "are you ok?"

"I didn't sleep very well. I had a lot on my mind." She explained, contemplating whether to tell Clark the real reason she had not slept.

He patted the bed. "Is it something you want to talk about?"

She looked at him; those puppy dog eyes pleading with her. "Ok…" she took a deep breath, as she lay down on the bed next to him.

"Clark…there is something I didn't tell you about my first meeting with Star. She saw a scene in a graveyard, at a funeral…"

He felt his heart starting to race, scared to hear what she had to say next.

"From what Star described you were there with your mom and Lana, and Chloe and I were there together. I cannot be sure whose funeral it was but the only person not present was your dad."

"Are you sure?" Clark asked with horror on his face.

"No… I asked Star to try and find out when I met her yesterday but she said she could not get a connection with me. I have no idea when the funeral was or anything. I feel so helpless…" she started to tear up.

Clark sat up. "Lo, it is not your fault. Maybe if Star tried to read my mind, we could find out more. I was at the funeral too."

Lois shook her head. "She said she would not be able to get a connection with you."

He smiled reassuringly at her. "It can't hurt to ask her to try, can it? Is she still in town?"

"Yeah she is hanging around for the next week or so."

"Ok, let's head back to Smallville to see her. " He got out of bed, and seconds later… he was dressed and had their bags packed.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at Star's trailer.

Lois knocked and waited. The door soon opened. "Lois, great to see you. Hi Clark. Come in… the kettle has just boiled." She announced in her usual upbeat tone.

Clark and Lois made themselves comfortable as Star made the coffee. "So what can I do for you two?"

Clark piped up first. "Lois told me about your visions of the funeral and that you could not see anything more. Is there any chance you could try to tap into my mind to see whose funeral it is. I cannot bear the thought of losing my father, if that is who is destined to die. I need to know."

"Clark, it won't work. You are not human…" she explained.

"Have you ever dealt with an alien? Please try!" he tried to convince her.

"No, but when I shook your hand in the store I just got the feeling that I could not read your mind. " She paused for a moment. "But I will try…."

Clark smiled. "Thanks."

"Lois, could you sit over there." Star asked as she took a seat across the table from Clark.

She took hold of his hand and closed her eyes. At first there was nothing but then the visions started. There was a white structure which looked to be made of ice… Clark was with the girl who had been standing next to him at the funeral… they started to have some type of fight in the large ice structure as the girl grabbed something out of his hand and put it on her finger. The scene changed to the snow covered graveyard with all the mourners surrounding the hole in the ground. Star could feel Clark's pain and emotions… the scene moved forward to another time in the cemetery when the snow had gone… Clark was looking down at a grave…. Star took in the details on the headstone. It read…

**_Jonathan __Kent_**  
><strong><em>Sept <em>_1,__1954__ – __Jan__26, __2006_**  
><strong><em>Beloved <em>_Husband __and __Father._**

Star snapped herself out of the vision. "I am sorry Clark but it is your father and he dies the day you jumped to this time."  
>Clark's face crumpled. "I have to stop it from happening. I need more clues as to how he died." There was desperation in his voice. "I need more… Star."<p>

"Clark, there is nothing more to tell you."

"Try again!" he thrust his hand towards her.

Star took his hand. The connection came easier this time. Clark was standing at the altar of a church, looking down as a veiled bride walked towards him. She came closer, and closer. She was soon stood opposite him. He lifted her veil, and Star saw the woman who had been with him in the big white structure.

**January, 26... 2006**

The vision came to an abrupt halt when she realised one person missing from the flash of the funeral and the wedding – Lois…..

Star jerked herself back into the present day, realising she need to compose herself. Her eyes were moist as they always were whenever she thought back to those events in the past. That meeting with Lois and Clark in her van was the last time she had seen them together.

She took a deep breath and continued up the track. The Kent Farm had not changed much in the past 16 or so years….


	11. Chapter 11

26thJanuary2006

Star pulled up outside the farmhouse and started to recount what she was going to say. There was every chance she could be carted off to some lunatic asylum before the morning was out. She had spent the last 16 years of her life working out her plan so she needed to pull it off.

She climbed out of her car and walked over to the veranda. As she climbed the stairs she heard a voice she had not heard for years – Martha Kent.

"Lana, I have no idea where he is. He headed over to the barn to do his chores a few hours ago. Are you sure he is not in one of the back paddocks?" Martha sounded fed up.

"But Mrs Kent, he said he had something very important to ask me, and I needed to be here spot on 10am. I am here and now there is no sign of him." Lana moaned.

"Well if you have looked everywhere for him, I do not know what to suggest. He will turn up."

Lana tutted. "Ok, tell him I came to see him and I do not appreciate making the journey from Metropolis for no reason."

"I will…" Martha said, sounding relieved at the idea of Lana finally leaving.

Star knocked gently just as the door opened. Lana looked at her. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"I am here to see Martha Kent." Star announced.

"It's ok! I have it." Martha took hold of the door and waited for her to leave before turning her attention to the newly arrived visitor.

Martha looked at her, the recognition soon becoming apparent. "Star, I don't believe it. What are you doing here?"

"I was passing by." She replied, bending the truth quite a lot.

"It is great to see you. Come in and have some breakfast. I was just cooking my son some breakfast but it seems he has done a disappearing act."

Martha just kept smiling. "So tell me about your life? How long has it been?"

"I left Smallville on the 25th June 1989 to be precise. I was so sorry to hear about the devastation which occurred during the meteor shower."

"I was shocked that you had left town. It seemed to be so out of the blue." Martha suggested. "Mind you, I know you only had Lucy's welfare at heart. It was terrible how Tom just ran out on her like that."

"Do you remember much about Tom and Lucy?" Star asked, not hopeful that she would.

"It is really odd, but I can remember every little detail of their stay in Smallville except what they looked like. Jonathan said the same thing."

Star sat back in her chair, unsure whether she should admit that she was to blame for their temporary amnesia.

"How is Lucy? No doubt she is married to a lovely young man by now, and has a few little ones."

"I will tell you all of that in good time. First I want to hear how life has treated you. I am so glad you managed to have the child you always longed for." Star asked, as she needed to make sure the coast was clear.

"Well, we adopted Clark. He is 18 years old now. I cannot believe he has grown so much."

"So are you and Jonathan ok?"

"Yeah fine. To be honest, that book you sent the other Christmas has really changed his outlook in life. He does his Tai Chi every morning before he starts work. Although he does still have stress in his life, mainly caused by a certain teenager; he does not get as worked up as he used too."

"That's great, Martha. He is a great guy, and you two were so meant to be, which is more than I can say for that girl who just left."

Martha grinned. "That is Lana Lang… the love of Clark's life. Although they have been getting a little distant since she started university in the city."

"You don't care much for her?"

"Star… don't get me wrong. I love Clark…. I love Lana….separately but together it is a different story. They cannot stay together more than a week without some drama breaking them up again."

"Sounds like a nightmare!" Star laughed. "So is Clark around?"

"Well he was but I am wondering if he has gone off because Lois has arrived home. Although saying that, I do not know where she is either. Her car is there but she has probably taken the dog for a walk. She claims she is allergic to him, but I often see her heading off to throw a ball for him."

"Lois?"

"Yeah she is a house guest who we have kind of adopted. She is great, although Clark does not seem to think so."

"So tell me about you? Are you married?"

"No, not yet but I am dating Nick Haddon."

"Not Nick, the clairvoyant who is on that daytime show. He is amazing! "

"Is it serious?"

"Yes, it is. We are getting married in a few months. I am 38 and I don't want to leave it too long. Although we are both pretty sure that children will be on the cards soon." Star laughed.

"Yeah, I guess it is easy for you both considering you both see the future. It is a pity you did not see the meteor shower happening?"

Star went quiet. "I did see it, Martha but I could not decipher when and where it was going to happen. I was actually in town the day it happened."

"Were you? Why?" Martha asked puzzled.

"Because Lucy told me we had to be in Smallville on that day."

"Why would she want to come back?"

"Because she knew the meteor shower was going to happen, and she wanted to make sure that you and Jonathan found Clark."

Martha's face dropped. "How did she know about that? Can I speak to her to find out?". She was worried that Lucy knew about Clark's past.

"No, Martha. She died on the day of the meteor shower, in my arms."

Martha's crumpled. "Oh my god! What happened? She got caught up in the meteor shower didn't she?."

"No she was shot by a mystery assailant. It was actually the threats from Lionel Luthor which made us leave town in the first place. I am sure he hired someone to kill her but I could never prove it."

"Surely the police investigated it."

"They never found out. Apart from Nick, you are the first person I have told about her death. I had to cover it up. Lucy was not meant to be in Smallville that day, or anywhere for that matter." Star explained cryptically.

"Star, what is going on?"

"Ok, this is going to sound crazy but everything I am about to tell you is true and it did happen."

"The reason you cannot remember what Tom and Lucy looked like was the fact that I wiped that part of your memory during the reading I did for you and Jonathan to prove you had a future together."

"But why would you wipe our memories?"

"I will explain that but firstly I can tell you exactly where Clark and Lois are. About thirty minutes ago, Clark was approached in the barn by three strangers from the future telling him he needed to go back in time to save humanity from evil. He agreed to go but just as he did, Lois arrived and ended up being transported with him."

"Where to?"

"To 1989! The night you split up with Jonathan after the argument, it was not Jonathan who said those things to you. It was an android from the 31st Century who impersonated your husband in the hope of spliitting you up. I can see the scepticism on your face. I reacted the same way as you when Lois first told me."

"Lois told you! When?"

Star pulled out a photo from her bag. "This may help you! This is Lucy Mason in August 1989 after we left Smallville." She handed it to Martha who almost dropped it in shock.

"My god. It's Lois!" Then Martha realised what this meant. "So that means that Tom was Clark?"

"Yes, he was. To return back to this time, they needed to get you and Jonathan back together so you would find Clark as a baby. The alternative future had Lionel finding him and turning him into a mass murdering weapon who plunged the world into darkness."

"So Lois is dead!" Martha could feel herself welling up.

"That is why I am here. Sometime today, Clark will jump back after having achieved their mission. For some reason, Lois did not jump back with him. We need to convince Clark to go back in time for her."

"So you are telling me that you have waited 16 years to save Lois, and are willing to risk your present happiness by having the last 16 years erased."

"Yes, I am. I have spent half my life regretting that I was unable to save Lois. I know how important Clark's destiny is and without Lois by his side, he will fail. He needs her. You have seen the way he is with her or should I say how Tom was with Lucy.

Martha was puzzled. "They cannot stand the sight of each other. I admit in 1989, they acted like they were madly in love." She noticed Star's expression. "You mean they really were?"

"They fell in love despite everything, and we need to convince Clark he needs to go back and bring her home." Star explained.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem. After all, when he arrives back here, he will stop at nothing to find out why Lois did not jump." Martha suggested.

"Martha, his mind will be wiped by Jor-el on his return, so he will be unaware of what has happened. If I hadn't come back today, Lois would be classed as a missing person and no-one would ever find her. I have seen Clark's future if Lois does not return and he is destined to wander into an unhappy marriage with Lana."

"Is there any way to get Clark's memories back? Can you do something?"

"No, only Jor-el can do that." Star commented.

"Ok, how do we approach this?"

"We just wait for his return and get him to go back. It is so easy." Star laughed a little.

"Clark is usually open to many possibilities considering he is from another planet, but he may find this hard to take in." Martha commented.

Just then, Jonathan entered the kitchen. "Hi honey!"

He then noticed Star. "There's a blast from the past. Star, how are you? It has been so long." He went up and hugged her.

"I am ok." She replied, but not convincingly.

Martha patted the chair next to her. "I think you need to sit down."

Over the next 20 minutes, they told him everything. He just sat there and listened, taking everything in.

"So I finally know why they asked me to lie to you about the events of that night. Martha, I am sorry I lied but I needed to get you back."

Martha grabbed his hand. " I am glad you did, otherwise this world would be much darker place and more importantly I love you."

"So are we going to see Clark?" Jonathan asked.

"He has not jumped back yet?" Martha replied.

"Well I have just seen him looking out of his loft window, so unless that is an imposter, I would say he was back." Jonathan smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

"How are we going to approach this?" Martha asked Jonathan for some guidance.

"There may be an added problem. Clark had asked Lana over today to take her to the Fortress, tell her his secret and then propose to her." Star explained what Lois had told her in the past.

"Great!" Martha looked unimpressed. "He is only doing that out of desperation to keep her because he does not know a life without Lana."

Star smiled. "Well hopefully if we can send him back, Lois and he will stay together. They are crazy about each other."

Jonathan put on his serious face. "Not too crazy I hope. We will have to set some ground rules." He lectured.

Martha rolled her eyes at her husband. "Jonathan, can we just concentrate on getting Lois back before we write the list of rules and regulations for them."

They headed out, but came to an abrupt halt when they noticed Lana's car was parked outside. "She must have come back." Martha voiced in a panic. "He may be up there proposing to her as we speak. We need to stop them."

Clark stood looking out of the loft window, and was trying to work out what had just happened. Thirty minutes ago he was preparing to propose to Lana, but then he must have passed out. He had just woken up on his sofa, and had managed to change his clothes somehow; clothes he did not even recognise.

He realised he had been out for about 25 minutes but what had caused it. He panicked when he realised that the engagement ring had been in his other jeans pocket. He felt around for it but could not find it. The only ring he could find was the signet ring on middle finger of his right hand.

"What the hell." He commented to himself, only to be interrupted by an approaching person coming up the stairs behind him.

"Clark, so you have decided to show." Lana sneered in a very annoyed tone. "Where were you?"

"I am sorry, Lana but I must have passed out. I have just woken up on the sofa."

"That is impossible. I was only here fifteen minutes ago and it was like you vanished into thin air. What is going on? Why did you drag me out all this way to tell me a cock and bull story?"

For some reason, Clark was not impressed with her tone and accusations. "I don't care whether you believe me. I am telling you that I have just woken up on the sofa after obviously passing out."

"Never mind that!" Lana replied impatiently. "Can we just get to the issue at hand here? Why am I here? It sounded like you had something to tell me. Maybe a secret?" Her voice changed to an annoying sweet tone; the one she always put on if she wanted something.

Clark could not explain it but he felt different. Lana was annoying him when normally he would jump through burning hoops for her. He would never dream of arguing with her; instead he would normally be fire-fighting to dampen down any potential conflict between them.

"Lana, why would I tell you my secret? I don't have one but you are never going to believe that." Clark fought back, realising this was the first time he had ever not felt guilty about lying to her. It was as if someone had removed the lid of his feelings and allowed him to voice all his pent up frustration to Lana.

"Did you bring me here to fling insults at me? I am leaving. Lex has invited me for dinner and you know what I think I will just have to take him up on his offer. At least he is honest and open with me."

She did not wait for his reaction and stormed off, passing Martha and Jonathan on the way out. Star had decided it would be better if she waited in the house for the time being.

Clark was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands

"Clark, are you ok?" Martha asked, as she placed her hand on the back of his shoulders. "Can we talk for a moment?"

He looked up with bewilderment. "What have I just said to Lana?"

"What you needed to say, honey! We could not help but overhear most of it. Telling her your secret is not the answer." Martha tried to reassure him.

"I was about to risk everything, and tell her but something stopped me at the minute. On top of all that, I am sure I have just passed out for the last thirty minutes but I do not know why or how." Clark was confused.

"Clark, your mind has been wiped by Jor-el and that is why you cannot remember what happened." His father explained.

"Wiped? Why?" he looked at his dad.

Martha led him over to the sofa. "You have just time travelled from 1989. You left this time half an hour ago, spent a week in the 1989 and then jumped back."

Clark got up and started to pace. "This is all a bad dream isn't it? No doubt, Jor-el is playing games with me."

"Clark, this is real." Jonathan added. "You have been away for a week, but it was less than an hour in our time. Someone from the future changed our past. You were sent back to save our marriage and to prevent Lionel Luthor from finding the toddler version of you after the meteor shower."

"Am I interrupting?" Star came up the stairs.

"No, Star…. Come up. This is Clark." Martha introduced her.

She smiled at him. "We have already met in 1989 but you won't remember Clark."

"You came back with me." He asked hopeful of some answers.

"No, I met you when I was 22 years old. I have waited 16 years to come and meet you again so I could ask you to travel back in time again." Star explained.

Clark looked at Star with astonishment. "I don't mean to be rude but I have just allegedly travelled back from 1989. Why would I want to go back?"

"When you first time-travelled Lois went along for the ride unexpectedly. For some reason you jumped back here, and she didn't. She was shot dead on the day of the meteor shower, no doubt arranged by Lionel Luthor." Star pulled no punches with her explanation.

Clark collapsed in the chair. "You mean Lois is dead."

"You can save her if you travel back to a time before the meteor shower. You jumped on the 20th June, so any time after that should be fine."

Clark had one focus, his mind was clear of everything else. "How do I time travel?" he demanded to know.

"That ring on your finger will take you. All you need to do is really focus your mind on a date and you will go but Clark there are some things you need to know before you jump." Star tried to explain but it was too late. Within seconds of explaining how to use the Legion Ring, he was gone.

Jonathan and Martha stood looking at the empty space where their son had been standing.

Star took a deep breath. "He is going to be a bit shocked by the greeting Lois gives him. Her red face gave away what she was implying...


	13. Chapter 13

_**This chapter jumps back to 1989, right after the reading with Star and Clark….**_

"Are you ok, Clark?" Lois asked as they walked back towards the farm after Clark's reading with Star.

"Well , not great. There must be some way of stopping my father from dying. It is not his time. I know his heart is not in a good condition but he is too young to die." Clark explained.

"I know. Maybe we can find a way to stop it happening. It may not have been his heart that killed him. Maybe something happened to him on that day so let's make sure nothing does happen to him when we jump back. Star said she would meet us at the precise time we end up back in 2006."

"Lo, that is 16 years in the future. What if something happens to prevent her from doing that?"

"We need to trust her. There is nothing else we can do." Lois tried to reassure him. He looked back at her with his loving eyes.

"How do you always know how to talk sense into me?" He bent down and gently pressed his lips to hers.

"Sorry to bother you too." Jonathan shouted as he pulled up in his truck. Clark saw him and felt a tug on his emotions.

"You're not bothering us." Lois smiled. "Are you offering us a lift?"

"Of course, jump in!"

Lois climbed in the middle. "We are so tired after that bus journey from Wichita to see the band. They were great!"

"So you had a good time!" his dad smiled.

"The best ever!" Lois was beaming as she put her arm around Clark who had climbed in next to her.

"I will catch up with my chores when I get back." Clark offered.

"No, it is ok. I have managed to get some help from some of Ben Hubbard's workers who are looking for some extra work. It will be fine until I work out what my plans for the future are."

"Are you still ok for Chinese tonight?" Clark asked.

"Yeah definitely! I wouldn't miss it for the world. I don't exactly have loads of company since Martha left, so it would be great." Jonathan noted sadly.

"It must be hard." Lois commented. "I would be lost without Tom."

After they got back to the farm, Clark and Lois decided to take two of the horses out on a ride.

Lois had not been in the saddle since she was 13 years old. "It is like riding a bike. You never forget!" Clark shouted as he galloped off into the distance.

There was no way she was going to let him get the upper hand so she pushed her mare on, until she had caught up with him.

He shouted for her to stop as soon as they reached a field of wild flowers, The colors and the smell were to die for.

"Why have we stopped here?" she asked curiously.

"I was wondering if you want to have a picnic here." He smiled.

"But we don't have anything to eat or drink."

"Find a spot. I will be ten minutes." He smiled.

He sped off, and soon turned up with a feast fit for a king.

They were soon lying on a rug which Clark had retrieved, to ease their full stomachs. "I am going to regret this." Lois laughed.

"Just think you have a Chinese to have later."

"Urgh…. Don't mention it. I have eaten way too much." She replied.

"I am sure you will find space. I have decided we should go with your idea about tailing my dad around the day we jump back to. Let's hope Star comes up trumps."

She turned over and looked at him. "Is that before or after you propose to Lana?" She meant it as a joke but Clark took it as a sign of insecurity in their relationship.

"I will never go back to her. Even if my memory is wiped, I know we will end up together. I truly think we are meant to be."

She touched his face. "how can you be so sure?"

"Because Lois Lane, I just know. One day we will get married and we will have children." She saw an idea forming in his head. "In fact, let's get the ball rolling.. He looked at her and then came out with his impromptu prosposal. "Marry me!"

She just looked at him as though he was mad. "What did you say?"

"Marry me!" He repeated but this time with much more conviction. "Lois, let's get engaged."

She started to bite her bottom lip nervously. "I am sorry Clark but no…"

His face showed his shock and disappointment in her refusal. "Why?"

"Clark, I love you more than anything else in the world but I am not ready to get engaged. You were going to propose to Lana…." But he did not let her finish.

"But I don't want Lana, I want you." He begged with her to listen.

She remained calm, smiled and put her finger to his lips. "If you will just let me finish. You were going to propose to Lana out of desperation to keep her, but with me, you will never lose me. I promise we will be together forever, but please understand I am only 19 years old and am not ready to get engaged. I don't need a ring on my finger to know how you feel. I know…" she kissed him.

All of a sudden a gunshot went off very close by. Clark panicked and shielded Lois. Another shot went off, but this time it was much closer…

Clark sat up, still shielding Lois with his body. He scanned around and picked up some people in a clump of trees in the distance. He zoomed in, and noticed it was Lionel with three others. They were dressed in hunting gear carrying semi-automatic rifles.

"Lionel is hunting with others in the woods over there." Clark explained.

Soon, Lois noticed that the party had started making its way over to them. "Why would they be coming thus way?" She asked curiously.

Lionel had one of those knowing grins on his face as he approached them.

Lois started. "We do not appreciate being shot at."

Lionel sneered. "and I do not appreciate you being on my land."

"Your land… This is public land if my memory serves me correct." She replied.

"No it is not. The Luthor's have owned this land for almost 50 years. How would you know about this land anyway considering you only arrived in town last week?"

Clark looked at the other members of the hunting party and recognised one of them immediately – Genevieve Teague. He wondered what she would be doing in Smallville but at the moment his main concern was protecting Lois.

"It just looked like public land. I didn't notice any signs to say otherwise." Clark entered the row.

"And you must be Tom Mason. You are very lucky to have such a beautiful fiancée."

"I am, and I do not appreciate you talking to her the way you did at your home yesterday. How would your wife feel about you propositioning other women?" Clark threatened him.

Lionel went quiet the way he always did when he was annoyed. "So you are fine about having a fiancée with a sordid past."

"Your research is factually incorrect, Mr Luthor. I would consider hiring another private detective to do your dirty work."

"I don't think so. Anyway we are off to hunt some deer. I would leave now if you do not want to risk getting shot." Lionel was pissed.

"We are leaving. The last thing I would want to do is end up with a bullet in my head." Clark replied sarcastically.

Clark took Lois's hand, grabbed the remnants of their picnic and led her off the field.

She turned to him once they were out of ear shot. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" she announced with a smile.

"I don't know what got into me. I am just protecting your honour. Besides I have just realised until the meteor showers arrives, I am actually invulnerable." He explained.

"Oh well, I think I will stick with you." She snuggled into his arm.

"Where are we going now?" she asked him but did not get a reply at first.

"I was going to suggest the farm but Imra has just contacted me to say they need to meet us." He picked her up and sped to the meeting place, way up in the hill country.

Rokk was pacing up and down. "Kal-el, thank you for coming. We have major problems. The 31st Century Earth Council have decided that time travelling is to be majorly restricted due to the Brainiac Incident. We got word at the Fortress requesting our return to the future. Your ability to time travel will be restricted too. The Legion Ring will only carry you between any time in 1989 until January 26, 2006, and we had hoped to give Lois a ring for her return to the future but we are now unable to, as all rings apart from yours has been deactivated.."

Clark panicked. "Does that mean that Lois cannot travel back with me?"

"No Clark." Imra could sense his rising stress levels. "as long as she is within 50 metres of you, she will travel back too. You will transfer back automatically once your parents are back together and the timeline reverts back to how it is supposed to be."

"What happens if someone sees us?" Lois asked.

"The ring will not activate until you are out of sight." Imra continued. "We will not see you until you return to your present, as there is a complete ban on time-travel back to prior to 2006. The council is not willing to risk something like this happening again."

"It is vital you stay together at all times." Garth added.

Rokk looked at his watch contraption. "We have to jump now. Good luck with your mission. I am sure you will succeed."

They left, leaving Lois clinging onto Clark. "I am staying by your side."

"I am sure I can cope with that." He said as he kissed her. "So let's get on with this match-making job and get back to 2006."

"You know I am going to miss 1989, as no one knows the real us and we can just get on with relationship. When we get back we have to face Lana, Chloe and your parents." Lois commented.

"Not to mention your dad." He looked nervous again.

She smiled and playfully punched his arm. "I thought Clarkie said he was invulnerable. Scared of my dad now, are we? He has always been protective of his girls."

"How protective?"

"Smallville, calm down. It doesn't matter what he thinks anyway. He is not dating you, I am." She loved watching him squirm.

"You love winding me up, don't you."

"You know what…there is a crystal clear lake up here. I spotted it when I was running one day and there is never another soul up here. I am so hot…" she emphasised the final word, leaving Clark in doubt what she meant.

"You are going to be the death of me." He smirked.

"Haven't you just said you are invulnerable. " She waited for the usual glint in his eye, knowing Clark wouldn't refuse.

He picked her up and they sped off.

After spending a few hours lying on one of the lake's secluded small beaches, Clark and Lois headed back to the farm.

"Hi…" His dad said as he saw them come in. "Did you have a nice afternoon?"

"Yeah, but it would have been better if Lionel had not used us as target practice." Lois remarked.

"What happened!" there was concern in Jonathan's voice.

Clark told him the story. His dad looked puzzled. "It is strange you mention this because apparently Lionel has some sort of meeting going on at the mansion. The gossip is all around town and allegedly one of his guests is some eminent astronomer who was man of the year in Time Magazine in the 70's.

Clark looked at Lois with concern. "Well you know the reputation of the Luthor's. I bet they have their fingers in loads of pies."

"You are probably right. I can't see what the attraction of Smallville for an astronomer." Jonathan replied.

"Jonathan, have you got a menu for a takeaway? I hear nice things about that one in Granville." Lois asked, her stomach starting to rumble at the thought of Chinese food.

"Yeah so have I. I think they deliver too." His dad smiled, as he grabbed the menu out of a drawer in the kitchen.

Jonathan went to phone for the takeaway leaving a curious Lois to grill Clark. "What is worrying you?"

"That astronomer will be a Virgil Swann. I met him a few years ago before he died. He encouraged me to face up to my Kryptonian destiny and to forge a relationship with Jor-el."

"Why would Lionel know him?"

"I never found out but I always suspected there was a connection between the Teagues, Luthors and Virgil Swann. Anyway it is not important; let's concentrate on putting this proposition to my father." Clark suggested.

After dinner, Clark decided to broach the subject. "Jonathan, I have been talking with Lucy and we had an idea which might help you reunite with Martha."

Lois got involved. "I know you might think we are interfering but we can see a future for you both, and it would be a shame to throw it all away over one misunderstanding."

"That would be great in theory, guys but she is never going to buy the fact I did not say those things." His dad sounded despondent.

Lois looked at him. "Well maybe the only answer is to admit you did, even though you didn't. Blame it on the alcohol."

"See you don't believe me either."

"We do actually but it is kind of a hard one to explain. Is it worth a lie to save your marriage?" Clark commented.

"Even if I agreed to do it, I don't know what I was supposed to have said to Martha."

"Martha told me what I said." She went on to tell Jonathan the uncensored version of what Martha had to listen to.

Every sentence made Jonathan more upset. "There is no way she would ever take me back after hearing those things."

"You need to at least try!" Clark tried to persuade him. "Talking to people around town, you two were meant to be."

He thought about it for a while. "Ok, if that what needs to be done. Well there is nothing like the present. I will go now." He got out of his seat and grabbed his keys.

His dad seemed to have a new determination. Clark just hoped that they were doing the right thing. After all, the plan could totally backfire and just make things worse.

"Well I did not think it would be that easy." Lois admitted, rubbing Clark's arm to let him know that they had done what they need to. "There was no other answer."

He smiled at her. "I know that but it does not make it any easier. I feel like I am interfering."

"As I said before, it is payback for all the advice your parents have given you over the years." She tried to convince him.

"Yeah but Lo, all that advice turned out to be right."

Martha was sitting in the back of the café doing the books when she heard a tap on the door. She went to see who it was.

She could see her husband's figure through the glass. His expression was one of nervousness, which made her curious as to the reason for visit. She unlocked the door, and pushed it slightly open.

"Martha, I am so sorry to bother you this late, but I need to say some things to you before I accept our marriage is over."

"I have heard all you have to say." She put her barriers up again.

"You haven't heard this. I need to talk to you about what I said that night." He replied. As soon as he had said that he noticed conflict on her face. It was a look of anger but relief at the same time.

"So you finally admit it was you." She questioned him. "Why did you deny it before?"

"Because I was frightened I would lose you when I thought back to what I said that night. I swear I did not mean any of it."

She opened the door to let him enter the café. "You've got five minutes!" she ordered.

She sat down at one of the booths, inviting him to sit opposite. "Ok, I am all ears."

"Martha, I am not making excuses, but I need you to understand why I acted the way I did. I drank that night, more than I had ever drunk before. I needed to forget about your father. I have always felt angry towards him and his interference but at the same time, I feel guilty about keeping you from a career to spend your life as a farmer's wife when you could have been some highflying lawyer." Despite his lies about the events of that night, his feelings about his anger and guilt were completely sincere.

"Jonathan, that was my decision to make. I want to be with you. I chose this life when I chose to spend it with you." Martha explained. "But that still does not excuse what you said. You blamed me for everything including our inability to have a child. How do you think that made me feel?"

Tears started to pour down her face. "You know I want a child more than anything else in this world, but I always felt if it wasn't meant to be that I would be able to face up to it because I had you by my side. You are everything to me and you almost destroyed that in one night with your venomous words."

Jonathan was becoming emotional too. "Martha, it was the drink talking. I love you more than anything but I know I must accept I might lose you because of my actions."

Martha remained silent for what seemed like hours until her expression changed. "Ok…I am willing to give it a try but there are some conditions…"

"What are they?" he asked.

"Let's leave that discussion until later." She said, as she stood up, and pulled Jonathan across the table by his lapels, kissing him hard.

Meanwhile back at the farm, Lois had finally convinced Clark that they would be alone for a few hours. She ran upstairs telling him that she needed a shower, making it clear that she did not want to have one alone. He looked at her, as she ran up the stairs.

He was just about to follow when he heard a scream in the distance. He sped outside to see a car heading fast along the road out of control. It looked like it had had a blow-out, leaving the woman driver fighting for control. He sped over and pulled the car from behind to a stop. Suddenly and without warning, his Legion ring glowed, and with that he disappeared into thin air.

Brainiac got out of the car, walked a few paces from the car and morphed into his usual disguise, before activating his legion ring and disappearing as well.


	14. Chapter 14

Clark felt strange. One minute he was standing in his loft talking to his parents and Star… the next he was stood by the side of the road just opposite the farm. There was a car parked up in a slightly dishevelled manner but no sign of a driver

He sped back to the farm to see what was happening. At first he thought there was no one home until he heard the shower running.

"Hello." He shouted as he approached the bathroom door to knock.

"Clark, thank god. I am dying in here." She announced. "Can you come here now?"

Clark felt himself go a very bright shade of red. "I would rather not!" He replied sheepishly.

"Oh we are playing hard to get, are we?" she shouted back. He heard some movement, and then the door opened.

The steam blinded him so he did not get a chance to react when he felt a hand on the waist of jeans pulling him into the humid fog of the bathroom. He was just about to protest when he felt some lips plunging down hard on his.

The shock made him pull-away. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I don't if we have time to role play tonight, Clarkie, but if you insist." She paused before putting on a strange voice. "What do you think I am trying to do?"

"I have no idea." He was acting very perplexed. Lois liked it.

"I am trying to seduce. Please don't resist."

"Resist! I cannot do this, you don't understand." He pleaded with her to listen, but she was enjoying his 'acting' way too much.

"I will just have to convince you." She put her hand under his shirt, and let it gently move down toward his waist. She could see that he was responding, both physically and vocally as he let out a little moan.

Clark tried to panic but his body was on fire from her touch. When had he developed feelings for her, or were they there all along? It was almost as if his body was reacting automatically, and its reciprocate actions towards Lois were beyond his control.

Suddenly his senses kicked in. "Lois, we cannot do this. I could hurt you." He was convinced that she must know about his powers.

Her voice changed back to normal. "Hurt me! You never could. Anyway you haven't so far."

'So far' – What did she mean by that? He needed to be blunt. "Lois, I cannot let this continue. I care about you too much to risk it."

"Risk what? I have survived all the other times so why would you suddenly hurt me." She added.

The realisation slammed into him at breakneck speed. Lois and he must be having some kind of a relationship but the question was – what kind?" Was it friends with benefits or was it something deeper?

"Lois, listen to me. I woke up in my loft less than an hour ago. My parents and this lady called Star confronted me, and told me I had to return to 1989 to bring you back to 2006. I have literally just ended up here. Now I find out that we have been having an intimate relationship."

"But how did you jump back to 2006. I have been within 50 meters of you at all times. I should have jumped with you." She replied in horror.

"I don't know whether you were when I jumped as when I arrived here, I found myself standing on the road past the farm next to an abandoned car. I would say it is over 50 metres away from here. Are you ok?" He asked concerned.

The mist was beginning to clear revealing her naked body. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her to cover up her modesty and save him further embarrassment.

"Well as far as I am concerned you have only been gone a matter of minutes. What happened when you got back to the loft?"

"Nothing really…. Lana came."

Lois felt her heart starting to race at that point. "You didn't propose to her, did you?"

"No, I was about to, but something stopped me. For some reason we had an argument about my secret and I ended up sending her running into the arms of Lex. I assume I have told you about my origins." He did not sound upset.

"Yes, everything. We have become very close over the past week." She replied.

"Very close, it seems. I just wish I could remember."

"Jor-el has obviously wiped your memory. The Legion can no longer come back in time so we will just have to jump and sort out your memories when we get there."

"Shall we jump back now? I have the ring."

"Would you mind if I say goodbye to a few people first and we have a few loose ends to tie up. I think if we leave town suddenly, your parents may wonder where Tom and Lucy have vanished. That could affect the future. I think that we can get all that done in a few days."

"Tom and Lucy? I guess there are a lot of gaps to fill in. Anyway I don't want us to stay any longer than necessary." Lois noticed he seemed worried.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"Star told me that when you were originally left here by me, I did not return, and you were shot dead on the day of the meteor shower. She is convinced Lionel Luthor did it but I am not sure why she thinks that." He explained.

Lois was shocked. "I think I got on the wrong side of Lionel the other day. But Clark, don't worry the meteor shower is over 4 months away."

"I think we should have a try to get your memories back otherwise Jonathan and Martha could end up suspicious. Star says she couldn't do it but then again, she said she couldn't read your memory and she managed to do it in the end." Lois suggested.

"That will have to wait until tomorrow…but until then we could try something else to help refresh some of your memories." With that remark, she dropped her towel…

Lois hated inequality and always felt she needed to tackle it. And that was exactly what was happening at that precise moment, as Clark had clothes on and she had none.

She was finding herself very turned on by the fact that Clark had no memory of their previous sexual encounters. Would he put up any resistance to her plans? She didn't care because nothing would stop her from wearing him down.

"What are you doing?" he said with his face becoming flushed again; he was frozen. There was no look of horror on his face, just confusion. In some ways she felt guilty to continue this but her needs were more overpowering and winning the battle hands down.

Clark felt conflicted. His body was definitely giving signals that he wanted this, but he hated having no memories of how they had arrived at this point in their relationship.  
>Clark's senses were now been assaulted on all levels, and he felt a deep warmth flooding through him, starting to break down any reservations he had. Their tongues came together this time, answering their need to taste one another. Lois moved her hands up to neck and started to slowly unbutton his shirt before tossing it on the floor.<p>

He noticed that she was standing on her tiptoes to get the most of his lips, so he decided to take the lead. He gently scooped her up and carried her into his room, laying her on the bed.

After their frenzied lovemaking, he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her softly on the lips. She curled up in his arms, listening to his heartbeat.

He looked down at her lovingly. "All I can say is that Star had better get those memories back for me tomorrow. I am not willing to miss out on experiencing all those other times after that performance." He laughed.

"Don't worry, we can always make new memories…" She smiled, as they both fell into a deep peaceful sleep.

Clark had never slept so well. He opened his eyes and noticed a familiar room but there was something different about it. Then he remembered that he had jumped back to 1989.

He looked down and noticed a very peaceful Lois asleep in his arms, just beginning to stir.

"Hiya." He kissed the tip of nose. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah definitely but I have to apologise for coming on strong last night." She commented.

"I will just have to get you back for it." He smiled, as he moved his leg over hers, and kissed her.

An hour or so later, they heard the front door. Clark scanned downstairs. "It is dad…and mom."

Lois had spent the last half an hour giving him a run down on what had gone on before he had his memories wiped.

Clark sped out of bed, got dressed before passing Lois her clothes. She needed to stay with him in case to cover for his hopefully temporary amnesia.

They went down. "Morning!" Jonathan chirped obviously happier than he had been the previous night. "Do you guys know anything about the car abandoned on the road?"

Clark shook his head. "No, I saw it there last night and went to check it out but there was no sign of anyone. I assumed it had just broken down."

Jonathan kept giving Martha looks which were leaving Clark a little embarrassed. "I will give the sheriff a call to check it out."

Martha interrupted. "Does anyone want a fry up?"

"Yeah that would be great." Lois replied. "I missed your cooking, Martha."

They all sat down, Lois was dying to ask what had happened but it was pretty safe to assume they were back together which would explain why Clark jumped.

Jonathan placed his hand on Martha's. "I know it may seem quick but Martha and I have decided to give it another go."

Lois hugged Martha. "You two were meant for each other. While we are all together, Tom and I would like to thank you for your hospitality but we will be leaving tomorrow and heading home."

Jonathan looked sad. "I am sorry to hear that. We have got used to you being around. "

"We need to get back and sort things out." Clark added.

"Oh dear. I forgot to get bread from the store." Martha commented.

Lois grabbed Clark's hand. "Can we borrow the car? We will head into town and get some."

They drove into town, and were just approaching the shop when Clark saw a blue light in the rear view mirror. He pulled over.  
>The policeman approached the truck.<p>

"What is the problem, sheriff?" he asked, noticing it was Sheriff Ethan Miller He looked so much younger.

"Could you step out of the truck?" he ordered them.

Lois and Clark looked at one another, confused by what was happening.

"What have we done?" Lois asked as they put their hands on the truck.

Clark was searched first, then the other male Deputy started to frisk Lois roughly. She pulled away and raised her fist to stop him proceeding any further. "I would appreciate if you would keep your hands to yourself. I would like to be searched by a female member of staff." She demanded.

"Ms Mason, that is yet another charge to be added." Ethan replied smugly.

"What are the supposed charges?" Clark asked.

"How long have you got?" the sheriff sniggered.

Ethan looked at them. "Ok, you are being arrested for trespassing on Luthor private property and being threatening to Mr Luthor. Ms Mason, you are also be charged with solicitation and prostitution."

"I am not a prostitute. Lionel is making it up." She protested.

Ethan read them their Miranda rights before walking them in full view of gathering crowd to the jailhouse including Star. The crowd was blocking the door to see what was going on. Star had pushed her way to the front. Clark saw her and passed her the Legion ring for safe keeping.

They were booked in, fingerprints were taken before they led to the two cells which the building housed.

Ethan was just locking the door when the deputy came up to him. "Mr Luthor will be here in fifteen minutes to see you."

"I will be back once we take a further statement from Mr Luthor ." he left with the deputy.

Once Clark made sure they were out of ear shot, he looked at Lois. "It is going to be hard to explain where we are from? It won't take long for to work out we have given false addresses. Why don't I just break us out of here, and we can get the ring from Star and head to the future."

"I think we need to see what Lionel is up to before we jump otherwise history could be changed."

Just then, the door opened and Star cam e in. "Trust you two to get into this mess."

Lois seized the chance. ""Star, Clark jumped back to future last night and then came back for me. Anyway it is complicated but his memory has been wiped. Can you try and restore his memory?"

"What here? Are you crazy?" she asked.

"Yeah definitely crazy but would you please just try?"

Star sighed as she put her hands through the bars for Clark to take. He took them, and Star tried to get a connection with him. It did not take long, and luckily she managed to release his forgotten memories within too much bother.

"My previous connection with you must have helped ." she explained.

"Did you see how we get out of this mess?" Lois asked.

"Lois, I have just restored Clark's memories. I did not get a chance to have a look at his future. I am not a miracle worker!."

Clark smiled at Lois. "I remember everything now. Now we need to find out what is going on here." He trained his hearing to listen to Lionel and Ethan's conversation.

"Mr Luthor, I arrested them as you asked, but to be honest I think I will have problems making the charges stick without evidence."

Clark whispered. "It seems Ethan's dealings with Lionel went way back further than we could ever imagine."

"I will get you some evidence. Give me until tonight. I am sure you can hold them until then. No one talks to me the way they did and gets away with it. If you don't keep them here, I cannot guarantee their safety." He threatened coldly….


	15. Chapter 15

"Lionel has nothing on us." He explained to Star and Lois. "But he is planning to fabricate something. You shouldn't really have turned him down, Lo."

Lois managed to punch his shoulder through the bars. "I will get you back for that."

"I am getting impatient. They don't have any security cameras so let's just break out of here and go home." He added. "I don't see the point in hanging around."

"Star, can we meet you back at your place in an hour or so. We will come and get the ring." Lois explained.

"Ok, I will see you then."

Star knocked on the door and waited for the deputy to come and let her out. As she went through the opening door she walked straight into the path of Lionel Luthor.

"Excuse me!" He said as he made contact with him. For some reason, he shook her hand. "I am so sorry to have bumped into you like that." He replied in a rare glimpse of niceness.

Normally she would have a flash of something from everyone she shook hands with, but from him, there was nothing except blackness. She looked at him and just knew he was not human. That was not Lionel Luthor. She needed to tell Clark and Lois. She headed back to her trailer to wait for them.

Meanwhile Lois and Clark were having a disagreement. "Just bend the bars like in the movies." She suggested.

"No, let me make it look like someone crashed a car through the wall. That would be so much better and more believable."

"But Clark, they will be looking for an accomplice."

He thought for a moment and sighed disappointedly. "Ok, I get it. I will just do it the old fashioned way."

"So is Lionel gone?" she asked him.

He scanned the building. "Yes there is only the deputy sitting outside."

She smiled. "I don't suppose there is any chance that he is asleep, like usually happens in the movies."

"No, but he is having a pretty intense conversation with his girlfriend…. Gross!" Clark screwed up his face. "He is discussing their plans for tonight, and it is not a pretty thought."

She grimaced. "Too much info, Smallville. Let's do this!"

Clark bent the bars so Lois could come into his cell, and then did the same with his cell. He replaced the bars before picking her up and speeding out the door past the chatting deputy.

They arrived at the trailer just as Star was approaching. She smiled at them. "You didn't give me much of a head start."

"We would have been here sooner but we had a disagreement." Lois smiled.

"Yeah Lois was being a spoil sport!" He smiled back.

Star's expression turned serious. "Come in! We have major issues." She climbed in the trailer and waited for them to join her.

They all sat down. "What's happened!" Lois asked.

"Lionel bumped into me, and then touched my hand. That is not Lionel Luthor! In fact it was not even human."

Clark knew immediately. "It is Brainiac! He must have jumped into this time again. I would bet that it was him driving that car outside the farm, and making me jump back to 2006."

"Who is Brainiac?" Star inquired.

"He is an android from the future. He was the one who originally impersonated my father so he could split my parents up. He must be in Lionel's body. I never thought I would say this but I hope that the real Lionel is ok, otherwise history is going to change beyond belief."

Lois could not work this one out. "How could he jump back? The Legion said he had been reprogrammed."

"He must have jumped at some point. The question is that we do not know why he is here. We need to find out, stop him and take him out of circulation."

"We could send him back to the future." She suggested.

"There is too high a risk that he would come back. No, we are going to have to kill him." Clark added.

"But you cannot kill him whilst he is in Lionel's form. From what you have told me he is not very easy to kill. You could put yourself in danger. Doesn't he not have all your powers? There must be another way. I wonder if there is a way we can reprogram him." Lois suggested.

"Lo, I wouldn't know where to start. In fact I don't know anyone who could."

"How about Dr Swann? Isn't he an expert in all things Kryptonian?" she commented.

"Yes, I suppose he is. But how can we approach him without telling him about the future, and without it having repercussions for us."

"I can find out for you." Star interrupted them. "I was approached by one of Dr Swann's representatives this morning. Apparently even though he is a scientist who deals only in facts; he has a fascination with things he cannot provide answers for. He wants a reading so he can try and disapprove it. So I am going to meet him his rented house, just outside Smallville."

Clark's face lit up. "Now that is just the coincidence we need. What time are you going?"

She looked at her watch. "Hell, is that the time already! He is sending a car in the next 30 mins or so." She explained. "Have you met him before?"

"Yeah I have met him a few times over the past few years, or should I say in between 2003 and 2004." He clarified. "He will intercept a communication from my home planet sometime this year, unless he already has, and this will lead him to become such an expert in all things Kryptonian. It was Dr Swann who has pushed me on my journey to fulfil my destiny, although I am still puzzled by what that destiny is."

"I will see what I can find out. Just make yourself at home." Star smiled, as she started to get ready for her meeting.

Clark took a deep breath and hoped they could come up with a plan. There was no way they could jump back to 1989 with Brainiac still on the loose…

The car – a massive stretched limo arrived on time. "Is that just for me?" Star asked the chaffeur, shocked by the display of grandeur.

Lois and Clark watched out of the window to see her drive off. "I hope she gets somewhere with Dr Swann."

"I just wish we knew what Brainiac had planned. Who would he need to be out of the way or what could he change?" Clark asked rhetorically.

"Maybe he is planning on killing Lionel, or already has?"

"I don't know how I know but I don't get the feeling he is dead. He might be trying to frame Lionel by murdering someone." He explained.

"Who has had the most influence on your life so far?"

"Well, my parents… but with my Kryptonian side, probably Dr Swann. He was always trying to push my relationship with Jor-el."

"So if you had never met him, do you think that you have taken a different path?"

"I think I would. I hated Jor-el and everything he stood for, as did my parents. Any contact I had with him seemed to end up with someone being hurt or even dying. It was Dr Swann who helped me reunite the crystals and build the Fortress. Jor-el and I still have a long way to go but we are definitely getting closer." He explained.

"So how about we consider Dr Swann as the primary target? I wonder if Brainiac knows we have busted out of jail. He obviously knows his plan to get you back to 2006 did not work otherwise he would not have tried to frame us."

Meanwhile, Star had arrived at the rented house, or was it more a mansion. It was big. The chauffeur climbed out of his car, where she was met by a slightly neurotic looking woman. "I just want you to know that I am not happy about this. I don't like Dr Swann being stressed."

Star was taken aback by the greeting. "Happy about what?"

"I do not like the idea of Dr Swann being taken for a ride like this by some con woman. For an eminent scientist, he does not show very good judgement sometimes." the woman continued her rant.

"Ms… " Star replied, waiting for a name before she continued.

The woman just looked at her. "It is Dr Crosby. I am one of Dr Swann's team and his main carer, and I do not appreciate you being here."

Star stayed calm. "I get the message but I did not ask to come here, and it is easy enough for me to climb back into the limo and go back to Smallville."

Just then they were interrupted by a young red haired girl. "Bridgette, daddy wants to know if his guest is here. I told him that the limo had just pulled up."

"Trish, tell him his guest is here, and I will show her through." Dr Crosby put on a false smile and voice.

Star could not help but smirk at the change in her expression. Star did not need to be psychic to realise that the doctor was not a pleasant woman.

Star was led through the house to a large oak panelled room with large windows and full shelves adorning every wall.

"Come in, please." She heard a voice say from the other end of the room.

She could see a figure in a wheelchair behind a large desk. He spun around to reveal who she assumed was Dr Swann.

"Thank you for coming, Ms…" he started.

"It is just Star. No one ever uses my second name anymore, even my parents. In fact it has been so long, I can't even remember what my second name is." She laughed trying to break the stiff and formal atmosphere being created by the size of the room.

Dr Swann smiled, and directed her to the seat at the other side of the desk. "I bet you are wondering what you are doing here."

"I was told by your employee that you wanted to challenge my abilities." Star replied.

"That is what I told him, but it is not true. The word around town is that your abilities are beyond belief and cannot be disapproved. As a scientist, I look for an explanation for everything. But I have encountered enough unexplained phenomenon over the years to realise that you cannot explain everything. There will always be mysteries in this universe." Dr Swann suggested.

"So what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"I would be honoured if you could provide me a reading of my future. I have recently made a break through and I need to know that I am headed in the right direction. This breakthrough could change the world for the better but I have suspicions that there are dark forces trying to work against me. I need to know who I can and cannot trust. I want to be around for my daughter."

"Of course I will, Dr Swann. Your daughter is lovely, you can see the resemblance. How old is she?"

"She is 9 going on 29. She is one strong willed little girl. She comes here with me every summer, and I think because she is with her mother most of the year, I think she tries to wrap me around her little finger. And to be honest she manages most of the time." Star could see his face lighting up when he talked about her.

"So if you can give me your hands, I will see if we can get some kind of connection." She took hold of them, and closed her eyes.

And then waited for the visions to come…

It was dark, and she (or at least Dr Swann) was trapped in some sort of warehouse. She could hear a voice echoing through the building, just as a small spot light went on to blind Dr Swann.

"Why have I been brought here?" she heard Dr Swann demand to know.

"Because you are a threat to the future."

"How is that? My work has only ever been for the good of humanity. I would never endanger it."

"I cannot allow you to help him become what he becomes." The voice replied.

"What are you talking about?" Dr Swann continued.

"The Traveller, The Kryptonian… whatever you call him, he will still become the same."

"But Lionel, you swore to protect the Traveller. You know that we need to protect him. That is why we founded Veritas."

"I am not Lionel."

"Who are you?" Star could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"I am what you would call an android, but far more advanced than you could ever imagine. I was built on Krypton before it was destroyed."

"So why is the Traveller a threat?"

"He becomes Earth's saviour…the only one who can defeat me, and I will not allow that to happen. He has not even reached Earth yet and you are already heralding such hope for him."

"Where is Lionel? Have you killed him?"

"Lionel is unconscious over there with the gun already in his hand. He will take the blame for your demise. Then I can jump back to the future, the future I have planned all along. Anyway I would love to stay and chat but…"

Suddenly there was a loud bang and her vision went black.

She jolted out of it, and realised she was in the library looking at a very confused Dr Swann.

"I can see by the look on your face, and the fact you have almost jumped ten feet in the air means that things do not end favourably for me. What happens?" He asked.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark were in the nearby woods, in case of any problems. Star had asked him to listen in.

Star smiled at him. "Is this room secure?"

He sat up in his chair. "If you mean, are there any surveillance devices…no there aren't. You can say what you need to say."

"Your breakthrough involves the arrival of the Traveller on Earth, doesn't it?"

Dr Swann's expression changed to one of profound shock. "My god, your powers are real, aren't they? What do you know about the Traveller?"

"I know that you have probably recently intercepted a transmission from another planet, and that you are awaiting his arrival at some time in the near future." Star explained.

"Who told you all of this? I am sure you have not gleaned all this from your reading." He challenged.

"Dr Swann, let me introduce you to someone who may be able to answer some of your questions."

"Now would be a good time." Star announced in a different tone.

Suddenly there was a whoosh, and Clark appeared in front of a shocked Dr Swann. He had Lois in his arms. He placed her down.

"Who are you?" he asked.


	16. Chapter 16

"My name is Kal-el although I believe you know me as the Traveller. This is my fiancée, Lois. She is not Kryptonian." Clark could tell he had made a major slip up by the way Lois was looking at him strangely. It seemed they had become engaged without either of them realising it.

"Kal-el!" Dr Swann replied in shock. "I expected a child. How could I have missed your arrival?"

"Dr Swann, I have not arrived yet and will not do for a few months." Clark replied, determined not to go into any details which could jeopardise the timeline. "I am from the future. I did arrive here as a young child in 1989."

"From the future. So time travel is possible in the foreseeable future." Dr Swann's eyes were wide with amazement.

"That is not strictly true. I was helped to time travel by people in the 31st Century."

"So why are you here?"

"There was a time rift in 1989 which would have prevented me from achieving my destiny of becoming Earth's saviour. If we had not changed it back I would have become a force for evil and the results were catastrophic. We have now fixed that rift but the android that tried to change the future is back, and is walking around disguised as Lionel Luthor. We think he is trying to kill you so you cannot advise Kal-el in the future on how to achieve his destiny."

Star intervened. "In my vision, I saw this Brainiac android shoot you in some abandoned warehouse, and then try to blame the murder on Lionel Luthor."

"So Lionel is still alive?" Clark asked.

"It would seem that way." Star confirmed.

Dr Swann looked at Clark. "So what can we do about this?"

"Brainiac is almost indestructible and has most of my powers. I cannot destroy him very easily. We could have sent him back to the future but there is no guarantee that he won't come back." Clark explained. "We need to either reprogram him or shut him down. That is why we need your help with this. "

"If you give me a few more details, I will try and help you. There may be some clues in the transmissions I received from Krypton before it was destroyed. There was a code in the transmission which has allowed me to decipher some of the language. Can you read the symbols?"

"Yes I can but not fluently. I am still learning a lot about my heritage and powers."

"How are we going to do this?" Lois asked.

"I will tell you what I know." Clark pulled up a chair next to Dr Swann. "We are not likely to get disturbed, are we? Lois and I are on the run after busting out of jail an hour ago. Brainiac is trying to frame us, as he knows who we really are."

"No one ever disturbs me if we have a meeting."

"I remember that from the few times we have met." Clark smiled. "You will become a big influence in my life."

Dr Swann smiled, as the two of them started to put their heads together to come up with some ideas…

"We can't let you do it, Star." Clark exclaimed adamantly. "He could kill you."

"I know I can do it and besides millions more will die if I don't." Star replied determined. "In fact if you don't let me, I will do it anyway. There is no other way!"

"You're very stubborn." Dr Swann added.

"I know, but it is one of my better qualities. This will work, trust me." Star told them. "I am not ready to die yet."

"Anyway I think both of you need to leave and I will reconnect with Dr Swann to get some more clues to help our plan." Star continued.

"I am not happy about this." Clark protested. "But I guess I am not going to change your mind."

"No, you're not!" she replied.

Clark picked Lois up. "I will catch up with you later."

They headed to the Kent Farm to see if they could find some safe haven. Clark scanned the area and there was no sign of the police or Brainiac.

Clark knocked on the door, and waited. Martha approached and once she saw them her face lit up. "Thank god you are both ok. The police have swarmed the whole farm to look for you but they gave up when they did not find anything. You should be save here if you want to hide out."

"Thanks, Martha." Lois hugged her.

"I don't believe you did anything anyway." Martha said as she poured them a cup of tea.

"We didn't do anything apart from trespassing on Luthor land."

"What do they expect? You do not know Smallville and there were no signs up." Jonathan said as he approached from the living room. "Those Luthor's are trouble."

"So they said something about you being on charges of trespass and solicitation?" Jonathan changed the subject.

"They got the wrong person." Martha glared at her husband for bringing it up.

"I guessed that!" He tried to smooth it over and then looked at his watch. "We have a farmer's meeting in town now, and if we don't go we might raise suspicions, so if you will excuse us, we will be back about 7. Make yourself some dinner."

"Ok, thanks!" Lois smiled, as they headed out of the door.

She turned to Clark. "Clark, we need to talk."

"I know exactly what you are going to say and it was a complete slip of the tongue." He stammered nervously.

He noticed an odd look of disappointment cross her face. "Oh… I thought it would be." She tried to sound convincing.

He took a deep breath, and decided to take the plunge. "Lo, do you want to get engaged?"

She looked up at him with her nervous expression. Her eyes were sparkling and she was biting the inside of her lip – a sure sign of nervousness.

"Why do you?" She countered his question, expecting his reply to be no.

"Yes, I would love to, but I did not think you would be interested." He looked at her.

"Who told you that!" She was still skirting the subject.

He sighed. "Give me the ring."

She could not make eye contact with him, her heart confused by his request. She took it off, and gave it back to him.

He smiled, and kneeled down on one knee. "Lois, I know we are still young, but the last week has made me realise that I can't imagine a life without you in it. I know it won't be easy being with me and this greater purpose I supposedly have, but I honestly don't think I can live without you. Whether it is 1989, 2006 or any other time for that matter I will always love you. Will you marry me?"

Lois was taken aback by his declaration. Although she knew he had feelings for her, she did not realise how deep they went. She grinned at him. "Yes, Clark… I will."

He placed the ring on her finger and then stood up, and enveloped her with his arms, and kissed her deeply.

When they finally broke apart, he looked at her. "Lois, I would understand if you would like another ring."

She took it in. "No, this ring is perfect but your words mean even more."

"I hope we can jump sometime tomorrow if we can get Brainiac sorted. I will always remember our time here but I think we need to get back to our own time."

Clark cooked them some dinner, but they were interrupted by a knock at the door. He scanned it, and then went to answer it.

"Star… come in."

She came in with a determined look on her face. "We are going to go through with the plan tomorrow morning. I have delved deeper into Dr Swann's memories and I have discovered that Brainiac kidnaps him tomorrow morning. That is probably why the vision was so clear."

"So have we got our plan sorted?" Clark asked as the three of them discussed everyone's role.

Star left before the Kent's came back.

"Hi." Martha said as she walked in the door arms linked with Jonathan.

"Did you have a nice night?" Lois asked.

"Yeah. I think we were the highlight of the night, being back together and all." Jonathan beamed, his happiness at being back with Martha evident.

"There is something we need to talk to you about." Jonathan's expression changed.

"The police are determined to pin something on you. I don't know how easy it will be to get the charges dropped. Lionel has some major influence and now the state's attorney is involved in the case."

Lois looked at Clark. "We are leaving town tomorrow anyway."

At the back of Clark's mind, there was a plan growing bigger by the minute…


	17. Chapter 17

"You're crazy!" Lois said as they lay cuddled in bed for the hopefully the final time in 1989. "I think you have been watching too many movies."

"Let's go out with a bang, Lo." He kissed her forehead. "Let's get some sleep and discuss it in the morning."

Next morning, Lois and Clark were ready and packed. Clark had already been to see Dr Swann, and asked for a favour. The used car was left at the end of the road as instructed.

"Lois, it may not be the best car but it will do the job." He smiled, as they looked over the pasture at it.

After breakfast, Clark got up. "We will have to be heading off now."

"Do you want a lift?" Jonathan asked.

"No, there is a car at the end of the road. I called in a favour." Clark replied cryptically.

Martha had tears in her eyes. "You have only been here two weeks, but I feel like I have known you both forever. Thank you for stopping Jonathan and I from making the biggest mistake of our lives." Jonathan approached his wife, and put his arm around her.

"Please promise you will come back and visit when you get sorted." He remarked.

Lois hugged Martha. "We will! Please don't give up on having a child. I promise you it will happen in the near future." She whispered in her ear, as they turned around and left.

Martha smiled, and held onto Jonathan tightly.

Clark turned to Lois, as they headed up the drive. "We will save my father. I don't care if we change history. I am not willing to lose him."

"I know that." She placed her hand on his to show her support.

They got in the car and drove to a nearby clearing in the woods where they would leave the car and where Star was waiting to meet them. By Star's calculations, Dr Swann would be kidnapped in 20 minutes. Star, Clark and Lois went to the warehouse but far enough away for Brainiac not to realise they were there.

Right on time, Brainiac arrived with Dr Swann. Clark listened in.

_"Why have I been brought here?" she heard Dr Swann demand to know._

_"Because you are a threat to the future!"_

_"How is that? My work has only ever been for the good of humanity. I would never endanger it."_

_"I cannot allow you to help him become what he becomes." The voice replied._

_"What are you talking about?" Dr Swann continued._

_"The Traveller, The Kryptonian… whatever you call him, he will still become the same."_

_"But Lionel, you swore to protect the Traveller. You know that we need to protect him. That is why we founded Veritas."_

_"I am not Lionel."_

_"Who are you?" Dr Swann asked, trying to sound surprised._

_"I am what you would call an android, but far more advanced than you could ever imagine. I was built on Krypton before it was destroyed."_

_"So why is the Traveller a threat?"_

_"He becomes Earth's saviour…the only one who can defeat me, and I will not allow that to happen."_

Before Brainiac had a chance to finish his sentence, Clark rushed Star so she was positioned behind him. She placed her hands on his head, and started to try to incapacitate him long enough for Clark to act.

Clark could see she was starting to have an effect on the android. Suddenly Star collapsed to the floor; Clark wasted no time and grabbed Brainiac before speeding out of the warehouse. Seconds later he was at the local power station.

Dr Swann had interfered with the supply to the station, by instigating a power surge. Clark pushed Brainiac into the main grid at power station whilst at the same time activating his Legion Ring. The android exploded, and then all traces of him vanished into thin air.

He sped back to the warehouse to make sure Star was ok. She was being helped to her feet. "Star, it worked. Are you ok?" he asked her.

"I am fine. It just took a bit out of me, but I can still see what I can do with Lionel." She knelt down and made a connection with him. When she was finished, she announced. "He won't remember a thing."

"Look, Lois and I are going to have to hit the road." Clark announced, with some sadness in his voice. "Thanks for everything, Star. You are an amazing woman." He hugged her. "See you in the future!"

She pulled away from him, shock evident on her face. "Are you two crazy? Why would make such a crazy move?"

Lois knew that Star had seen their future plans. "Does it work?"

"Yes, it does but you're both still crazy!" Star smiled.

"Go to the movies in 1991 and it will all make sense." Lois replied with a grin.

Dr Swann shook Clark's hand. "Kal-el, it is an honour to meet you and I look forward to meeting you in the future."

"One thing… please let baby Kal-el have a childhood before you approach him." Clark explained.

Dr Swann nodded in understanding. "I will."

Lois hugged Star tightly. "Thank you for everything! Promise to come by the farm in 2006."

"Just try and stop me! Look after Clark." Star commented, just before she got a sudden glimpse of Lois's future. Before she could process what was happening, Lois and Clark sped off.

She looked at Dr Swann. "Oh my god, we have a major problem."

Clark put Lois down at the clearing where they had left the car.. "Why did I get the feeling we were flying there?" Lois asked in shock, but then realised that Clark had the same look of shock on his face.

"Because I think we were. I never thought I would be able to do that, well not so soon. Not that I am complaining." He smiled.

"I hope we can go flying when we get back to 2006." She said enthusiastically.

"I promise I will take you when we get back and I can still fly." They climbed in the car. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.

"You bet." Lois replied before leaning over and kissing him hard on the lips.

"Where are we headed?"

"The Rockies or we just aim for the Kansas Hills. We have to make a grand exit. I would have pushed for the Grand Canyon but it is a bit too far." Clark laughed.

"I think it is going to have to be the Rockies as I cannot remember ever seeing any massive drops in Kansas. Star thinks we are crazy and I must admit I did at first but then it started to make sense." She replied.

"Lionel will not stop hunting us down, even if he does not remember what has happened to him in the past few days. We have to make sure make sure no one can ever find out who Lucy Mason or Tom Bradley are. There will also be no one to mourn them, except maybe your parents." He suggested.

"I left a note." Clark admitted. "It explained that we were faking our own deaths to escape the Luthors and would hide out until we could clear our names. I did promise we would come back and visit."

"You sneaky dog. Well you weren't lying because we will be coming back to see them in about 16 years and then we can tell them the truth." Lois remarked.

She continued. "We also need to discuss what is going to happen with you and Lana. Things may have changed a bit but you will probably still be dating Lana and maybe thinking about proposing."

"Well I cannot propose. I gave the ring away to the first woman I came across."

She rolled her eyes, and punched him playfully in the arm. "No seriously, it is going to be difficult isn't it?"

"Yes it is but what else can I do. I am going to give up what we have for anything. I love you, and there will never be anyone else. I must admit that my parents and Chloe are going to have problems accepting us, as they will think it has happened all of a sudden."

"We will just have to tell them." Lois commented.

"I guess so. When are we going to call the police?"

"How about stopping just South of Colorado Springs?" he replied.

They pulled up at the next gas station and Lois volunteered to call. She ran back to the car and jumped in. "Hit the gas!" By the way are you playing the Thelma or Louise part?" She chuckled.

"I don't know. Let's see if we can find a wig shop and buy one so I look the part." He joked.

"What did you say to the police?"

"I told them that we had been spotted and I gave them a description of a car and the license plate." She smiled.

"Hopefully we can beat them there." He said as he put his foot down to get to the foot of the Rockies as they headed towards Royal Gorge.

"Have you been here before?" She asked.

"No, I haven't. We need to get there and check where would be best to drive the car off. I don't want to cause any more damage than necessary."

They were at the Royal Gorge in under an hour, and parked a few miles down from the Bridge.

"The police are obviously not very observant today." Lois suggested, as Clark scanned the gorge below until he found a perfect spot well away from the railway track and inaccessible to people except the craziest climbers.

"I will go to the Bridge and make a call. Then we can just wait for them." He sped off.

An hour later there was still no sign of the police until the silence was broken by the sound of a helicopter overhead.

"Looks like they are here. Let's hit the road." He announced.

They sped off in the car to make it look like they were trying to outrun the police, but as expected they were soon trapped by police cars approaching from all sides, and blocking every exit. Clark slammed on the breaks.

The police stopped a safe distance from the fugitives. Soon they heard a police speakerphone.

"Ms Mason and Mr Bradley. You have nowhere to go, so please make this as easy as possible." The voice said over the speaker.

Lois and Clark stayed in the car. "We had better go soon, or they may open fire."

"Ok, say goodbye to 1989…" he smiled, as he hit the gas, allowing the car to speed towards the gorge. Just then the police started to fire, obviously trying to take out the tires of the car. Lois closed her eyes, and felt herself moving at breakneck speed. She opened her eyes to see the car falling over the cliff in the distance, and heading into the Arkansas River. Clark hit it with his heat vision to make it explode mid-air to try and destroy any potential evidence. Luckily DNA profiling was not widely used in 1989.

Clark kissed her, and activated the Legion Ring….

"Have we got them, Jor-el?" Rokk voiced boomed across the ice fortress…

"Yes, they are safe. There is no other way we need to act now." Jor-el explained, as he and Imra joined forces to carry out the mind wipe on the unconscious Lois and Clark.


	18. Chapter 18

**26****th****January 2006.  
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Clark could not work out what was going on. He had just woken up on the sofa in his loft; his mind felt hazy. Soon the brain fog began to lift and he realised that he must have fallen asleep. The importance of that day suddenly hit him – this was the day he was going to propose to Lana in a desperate attempt to convince her to give their relationship another shot. He had it all planned; he was going to take her to the Fortress and tell her everything.

Lois opened her eyes, and gave them time to focus. She realised she was lying on the bed in Clark's room or at least the room she had taken over since she moved in. She looked at her watch and realised it was 11am, way past the usual time she would wake up. Her head felt like she had downed a dozen vodka shots and then some. There was no headache, just a cluttered and confused mess in her mind.

She got up, had a quick shower, and headed downstairs to see what was happening. Her long term memory seemed intact; it was more the events of that morning which were all jumbled up.

There was no one in the farmhouse with her, so she headed to the kitchen to make a strong cup of coffee to see if it would help ease her situation. She sat down at the table with the strongest cup of coffee she could tolerate. Suddenly her cell started to vibrate…

She looked at it, and realised that it was a text from Chloe. It was another one of the jokes which she constantly forward onto Lois. She could not face reading it now, so she decided to save it for later.

_"Memory full… Delete some files."_The message came up on the phone.

Lois groaned, thinking her cell was on the blink as she was never one for taking lots of photos or video clips. She selected the file option on her phone to see what the problem was. There was one file which was taking up a ridiculous chunk of memory. She had to do a double take when she noticed its duration was 1hr and 11 minutes.

"What the hell." She exclaimed to herself, as she selected it and opened it.  
>She wished she hadn't. It was like something off Triple XXX TV, in fact even that channel was a little tame for this clip. The background was quite dark so it was hard to make out the participants but the groans and screams from them left her in no doubt about what was going on between them. She felt sick.<p>

She thought that her cell had a virus on it which had meant content had been stored on it without her knowledge. She was about to delete it when she heard a familiar voice…

"Let's try something a bit different!" the voice groaned as he rolled on top of his bed mate.

"What the f…." Lois said out loud. "Clark… how the hell did he get his hands on my cell and how dare he use it to make dirty videos with Lana." If it was Lana because Lois was having trouble focusing on details.

Whilst all of this was happening, Lana had arrived at the barn. "You wanted to see me, Clark." She said gently as she climbed the stairs. There was excitement on her face.

"Actually before you start, there is something I need to tell you. I can't believe what has happened to me this morning." Lana could not contain herself.

Clark smiled. "Ok, what is it? You look so happy."

"I have just been offered a two week placement with the Swann Institute in New York…. All expenses paid. This will be great for my astronomy course." She explained.

"You mean.. Virgil Swann."

"The one and only." She beamed.

"So when do you go?"

"Well I am leaving in two hours, so I was wondering if we could take a rain check on our magical mystery tour. I cannot pass up a chance like this." She replied.

Clark was taken aback. He knew he would have to put his plans on hold, but then he came up with an idea. "Look, why don't I come with you?"

Lana looked anything but thrilled at the idea. "I don't think that it such a good idea. I will be working and studying all the time and I will not have any time to spend with you."

"Lex said he would take me to the airport. I need to go now and pack. I will call you when I get there." She announced cheerily as she walked over, kissed him on the cheek, and skipped off down the steps.

Just as Lana left, Lois came up the stairs with such an angry look on her face. "Smallville, sit down."

Clark was still reeling from Lana's news so he did not fight with Lois, and sat down as ordered.

"We need to lay down some ground rules here. I am shocked that you would do this."

"Do what?" he asked, still confused by her ranting.

"Well for one, I cannot believe you used my cell without my permission, but that is nothing compared to what you used it for. "

She pressed play and thrust the cell in his face for him to watch.

Clark watched, his expression changed to one of immediate horror. "How, when…."

She glared at him. "Don't tell me that you do not remember this."

He looked very pale. "Do you remember this?"

Her jaw dropped at his suggestion.

"Clark, don't be sick! Why would I be there?"

He looked at her in disbelief. "Well unless I am very much mistaken, you are just as involved in this as me."

Their argument was suddenly interrupted by woman on the video. "Just like that, Clark!" Lois could not believe what she was hearing, and turned the screen around to look.

Seconds later, the color drained from her face, and she was out cold on the floor…

Clark picked Lois up and placed her on the sofa. As he did, something on her left hand caught his eye. He lifted her hand up and realised that she was wearing the ring meant for Lana.

He tried to think back to the events of the last few days and he remembered everything so when had all this kicked off. He realised it had probably happened during the night, and he had no doubt that the culprit was Red K, although it was odd that he did not remember what had happened, as he had in the past.

He heard his parents approach the barn; he panicked and decided to intercept them as he did not want them finding Lois out cold. There would be too many questions which he could not answer.

He ran down the stairs. "Hi mom, dad."

"Hi Clark. We have just popped in to grab some stuff for the Talon party. We are almost ready but we will let you know if we need anything." His dad explained as he headed into the house.

His mom smiled at him and whispered. "Clark, a visitor will be arriving in a few hours. Could you bring them by the Talon. Your father will be thrilled to see them."

"Who is it?" Clark asked curiously, although his mind was still caught up in the mystery of his sudden relationship with Lois.

Martha noticed Jonathan coming out of the house. "Clark, I will tell you later. It is a very old friend who has been a lot of help over the years."

His parents left, and he headed back up to the loft. Lois was sitting up rubbing her head. "What happened, Smallville? I had this ridiculous dream that we had videotaped ourselves doing the horizontal mambo."

Clark laughed nervously. "Lois, it seems it wasn't a dream but I have no idea how or when it happened."

She looked giddy again but then managed to compose herself. "Maybe we were drugged somehow. Chloe once told me how she had made out with you when you were under the influence of some sort of parasite. It could have happened again."

"You seem calm whatever the reason." He replied.

Her face went red. "Clark, I am anything but calm. But getting worked up about it is not going to help. It has happened now; we cannot remember it; it was a mistake so let's just move on with our lives."

"But I cheated on Lana." He was horrified at the realisation.

"Well not strictly. You were not yourself when it happened. Let's face it, we would never be bed partners unless there was something major affecting us. Anyway I am going for a lie down to see if I can work out what happened. " Lois explained as she felt something on her finger.

"What's this?" She asked as she twirled the diamond engagement ring around her finger nervously.

"It is the ring that I was going to use to propose to Lana before she fled off to New York on work experience." He announced. "I have absolutely no clue how it got onto your finger."

She smiled, took it off and give it back to him. "Clark, for what it is worth I think you are making a mistake asking Lana to marry you. Let's face it, you are only doing it so she will stay with you."

His face suddenly showed his anger. "I do not appreciate you sticking your nose in something which is not any of your business."

"Well, I will leave you to get back to your usual moping now Lana has walked out on you." She sneered, and walked out the barn, regretting her words instantly. She was going to turn around but she realised it would just make matters worse.

Lois's words had hit a raw nerve, but mainly because she was completely right. He decided to spend some time trying to work out what had happened.

She lay on her bed, the recent events were swirling around in her head. Suddenly she got the urge to have another look at the video. She tried to convince herself that it was so she could look for clues, but deep down she knew it wasn't. She pressed play.

Clark paced the loft for almost an hour before he decided that the only person who could help him come up with an answer was Chloe. He decided to tell Lois about his decision so he headed over to the house.

As he climbed the stairs, he scanned Lois's room to check if she was sleep. He soon realised she was in bed but asleep. He knocked on the door gently.

"What do you want?" she shouted sounding very flustered.

He suddenly realised what she was watching. His hearing confirmed it. He pushed the door open, revealing a very flushed Lois. "Smallville, get the hell out of my room." She screamed as pulled the bed clothes up covering up for her lack of clothes.

He smirked. "Why are you watching that?" he decided to wind her up.

"I was looking for clues." She replied. "It does not make sense."

"Come here." She changed her tune, and patted the bed for him to sit next to her .

He gulped, but was intrigued. He sat next to her and then asked. "What doesn't make sense?"

"This video is showing two people very comfortable with each other. Smallville, we barely have a functioning relationship so how can we have sex without things being very awkward. I don't think this is us. It is manipulated."

"Do you really think?" he said, distracted by the noises coming from the video.

"There is no way that we would do anything like this. In fact I am almost jealous of the couple. Because they look like they are having such an unbelievably amazing time." She announced in a somewhat embarrassed tone. "That proves that this could not be us, because let's face it, if it was, then it would be a quick fumble in the dark and it would be over."

He took exception to that, and for some inexplicable reason, he plunged her lips on to hers…


	19. Chapter 19

Lois was not shocked by the force of his kiss, but rather the passion which was now coursing through every part of her body. This was familiar, but how. Did she remember their night of lust? It did not matter; she needed to push this forward. After that kiss, stopping was not an option.

"I am so sorry for doing that!" A dishevelled Clark announced, as he sat up on the bed.

Lois just glared at him. Not angry at his kiss… but more frustrated because he had stopped. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him back down, lifting her head off the pillow to meet his lips with her own.

Meanwhile, Star entered Smallville for the first time in 10 years. She had kept in contact in the Kent's by letter, and later by email. She last saw Clark when he had been eight, which made the fact she first met him when he was 18 years old so very much stranger.

The town had not changed much; most of the stores were the same. She was early so she decided to head into town for a coffee at the Talon; she had heard so much about over the years when Martha helped out.

She took a seat and started to peruse the menu for something which would be agreeable with her ever growing six month old bump. She had promised her husband, Nick that she would stay off caffeine, but it was hard at times when the smell of coffee filled the room.

She looked around and noticed there were signs of a party being set up, then she noticed a familiar face approaching her. Although she had never met her, she knew the face from her work.

"Hi I'm Chloe. What can I get you?" she said with a friendly smile.

"Could I just have an iced tea please?" Star replied, wondering what such a technical genius was doing serving drinks at the Talon. But then she realised that she would be covering for Lana, who had just boarded the plane for New York convinced she had been handpicked by Dr Swann to complete a two week placement.

The plain fact was that she needed to be kept out of the way of Clark as a marriage proposal would rock the boat to say the least.

She knew they could not take the risk ever since she got the flash-forward in the warehouse when Clark and Lois returned to this time.

Those intervening years had been filled with the opportunity to prevent Clark from losing the one love of his life and maybe from reaching his destiny. They had ensured the time line had followed the course that Star had worked out it should from the visions she had from Clark, Lois and the Kent's.

Virgil Swann offered her a very interesting proposition as an advisor to ensure Clark's future was not adversely affected by this time breach. She did not have to think twice and accepted immediately. It had been agreed from the beginning that only Star and Dr Swann would have access to information about Clark. Dr Swann kept up his membership of Veritas but this served as a way of steering Lionel Luthor and the others away from the truth about the Traveller.

The only part of her role she did not enjoy was the need to lie to Jonathan and Martha Kent. They had asked her why Tom and Lucy had driven a car off the Royal Gorge, but Star just answered with the response that she did not know.

This particular day in 2006 had been the date that Dr Swann and she had been aiming for over the past 16 years. This was the day when Clark, Lois and his parents would learn the truth about what had happened in 1989.

In theory this would be the second time that she had needed to tell the Kent's about the time travel escapades of their son, but the first time was now in another timeline. She laughed to herself wondering if she would ever get her head around time travel and all its infinite possibilities.

Chloe arrived with her iced tea. Star smiled. "I would kill for a coffee."

Chloe looked puzzled. "Should I bring you one?"

Star sat back and revealed her large stomach. "No, I am not a restricted intake."

"When are you due?"

"In April if she is on time." She smiled.

"Star…" an excited voice screamed in the distance. She looked over to see a grinning Martha approaching her.

Star stood up to hug her. "Martha, how great to see you! You look fantastic."

"So do you? I am so pleased you finally got pregnant. I hope Dr Swann is not working you too hard." She smiled.

"No, well it is not hard doing what comes naturally." Star had told the Kent's that Dr Swann gave her a job as he was fascinated with her abilities.

"Where is Jonathan?" Star asked trying not to sound concerned.

His death was the one variable they had not been able to work out. Star had pushed Tai Chi and other relaxation techniques at him over the years and Martha often commented about how much more laid back he seemed. Dr Swann had accessed his records over the years, and although he did have a genetic heart condition, he was kept stable with medical treatment.

"He is upstairs trying to get in contact with his campaign manager, but Lois has her phone switched off." Martha explained. "Hopefully he will beat Lex Luthor in tonight's vote. We are still guarded about toasting his success even though the exit polls are looking favourable already. I am so glad you could come." She hugged Star again.

Meanwhile in the Fortress, Jor-el was deciding on the action to take. The future had changed but he was unsure as to what extent as he was no longer able to contact the Legion. Should he sacrifice Jonathan Kent for Kal-el to achieve his destiny?

"I still cannot get hold of her. God knows where she is. To be honest I have not seen her around the farm this morning." Jonathan was so busy looking at the latest polls that he did not see Star at first.

"Hello Jonathan." Star announced.

"Star, we weren't expecting you until later. How did you know we would be here?" he asked, as he hugged her.

"I just thought I would stop for a drink because I was early." She replied.

They spent the next hour catching up on old news. Just then Star received a call. "Hi… What do you mean? Great, so where do they think she is?"

Star put her phone down, and looked worried. "What is it, Star?" Martha asked, worried by the look of panic on Star's face.

"Can we go somewhere private?" Star replied.

"Yeah, Chloe has gone to find Lois so we can use the apartment." Jonathan offered, puzzled and slightly worried by the request.

As soon as the door was shut, Star explained her concern. "Lana is supposed to be on her way to the Swann Institute now but she did not board the plane. She was last seen getting on the bus back to Smallville. We need to distract her before she can talk to Clark."

"What is this all about?" Jonathan asked.

"Listen, can you call Chloe and ask her to ensure that Clark and Lana are not left alone as he is trying to propose to her." She asked.

Martha trusted Star and grabbed her cell to ring Chloe. After she had made the call she said. "Chloe was very confused but agreed to do so."

They all took a seat at the table. "Alright.." Star paused. "I need to tell you a few things which may seem unbelievable. My sole purpose of my role at the Institute for the past 16 years has been to protect Clark with the help of Dr Swann. This all started in 1989 when I met Tom and Lucy. They were time travellers from the future and had been sent back in time to repair a time rift caused by Brainiac. Martha, it was Brainiac impersonating Jonathan who told you all those horrible things that night which almost wrecked your marriage. He wanted to stop you from finding Clark during the meteor shower."

Martha looked at her husband. "But you told me it was you."

"Tom and Lucy convinced me that it was only way to save our marriage. I would never have said those things to you, but if admitting to it was the only way to keep you, I agreed to it."

"So things went back to normal. I only wish we could have thanked Tom and Lucy. They sacrificed so much." Martha continued.

"Yes, things went mostly back to normal, but Dr Swann and I have been observing to ensure this happened. Tom and Lucy were not in that car when it went over the cliff. They had time travelled back to their time."

Martha smiled. "I am so happy that they made it back. Where are they now?"

"At your farm. You cannot remember what they looked like, can you?"

"Now you mention it. No we can't. I have tried to envisage what they looked like, but have never been able to. Martha said the very same thing. We put it down to the stress of the meteor shower." Jonathan replied.

"Your minds were selectively wiped by me so you could not remember. It may have affected the future if you realised Tom was your future son."

Jonathan and Martha looked at one another. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed. "It was Clark, wasn't it. Who was Lucy?"

"It was Lois."

"So Clark and Lois pretended to be a couple. They were very convincing. " Martha smiled.

"They weren't acting." Star replied. "They fell in love back in 1989. Now they have come back to this time with their minds wiped by Jor-el. Clark was just about to propose to Lana before he jumped back to 1989. It will be the worst mistake of his life. We need to stop him from making it."

Martha and Jonathan jumped up. "Let's get to the farm."

"You two stay here. I will go, as I need to restore their memories." Star remarked.

"Be warned! You will probably walk into the middle of a squabble about who is going to use the bathroom first." Jonathan smirked.

"So does that mean we are going to go from a warring couple to a madly-in-love couple once they have their memories back?" Martha grinned. "It has to be an improvement."

Chloe had sped most of the way to the farm curious why she needed to act as a distraction and why on earth, Clark felt the need to propose to Lana. To be honest, as much as she was friends with Lana, the thought of coming between Clark and her was not an unthinkable one.

She pulled up to the farm, but there was no sign of life.

Clark had left Lois in bed with the promise of his return with a drink. Their exploits of the past two hours had left them both very thirsty. Deep down his head was starting to question what had just happened but then he decided to think about it later. Just as he was grabbing some juice, there was a tap on the door, and it was pushed open.

Luckily Clark had put on some jeans before he came down. "Chloe, what can I do for you?" he asked, trying not to sound distracted and praying Lois was not coming down to see where he was.

"I am looking for Lois." Chloe lied, but then she noticed his flustered look and the fact his hair was mess and his jeans were unfastened. She panicked, and arrived at the conclusion that Lana was there. "Oh my god, she is here, isn't she? You haven't, have you?"

Clark thought Chloe was on to him and Lois. "Haven't what?" he tried to sound naïve.

"Gone and done it!" Chloe replied.

Clark took exception at her prying. "Ok, we have but I don't regret it for one moment. My feelings for her run deeper than I ever thought."

"But you are only doing it out of desperation to keep her. She will only hurt you."

"Hurt who?" an inquiring voice asked from behind them.

They turned around to see a surprised looking Lana who had just come into the house…


	20. Chapter 20

Luckily Chloe realised quickly what had happened, and even though the revelation was much more surprising than the original idea of a proposal, she knew she had to act to protect her cousin. As she turned around, she winked at Clark to go with her on this one. His look of horror would have been funny if it had not been for situation he managed to get himself into.

"Lana, I don't mean to be rude but can you give us a moment. Clark has been treating Lois like something he stepped on and I will not let it continue."

Lana smiled. "Look, Clark. I will be waiting in the loft when you are finished being scolded."

As soon as Lana was out of ear-shot, Chloe shot a look at him. "You and Lois! Since when?"

"Chloe, this is really complicated, and I want Lois here before I say anything more. To be honest, I don't know why it happened." He looked shell-shocked. "Lois will be down looking for me soon, and I need to go and talk to Lana. Could you wait for me?"

Chloe nodded, and took a seat at the table. Clark grabbed a shirt and shoes and headed over to the loft.

Lana was looking out of the loft window when Clark arrived. "Lana, I am sorry you had to walk in on that. I thought you would be mid-air by now. What happened?"

"I am still planning on going , but I have moved to a later flight. But you can stop me going. You were about to tell me your secret, weren't you?"

Clark was taken aback. "No, I was going to ask you if you wanted to drive up the lake for the afternoon, as I wanted to tell you the truth without any interference."

"Tell me now." Lana demanded impatiently.

"Lana, I think we should end it. When you came to tell me you were leaving for two weeks, I thought I would be upset. But to my surprise I was glad of the space. I think the writing has been on the wall since day one. I now realise the constant arguments and break ups were signs that we were not meant to be. All we have done since we together is to hurt one another, and I know that is not intentional but it happens constantly. "

Lana went bright red with rage. "You don't deserve me. If you really loved me, you would not have shut me out, and you would have shared your secret with me."

"Much like you have shared your secret about your affair with Lex. I am not stupid, and was hoping not to make a scene and end this quietly but you won't let me.

"How did you find out?" Lana asked in horror.

Clark smiled. "Actually I didn't but you have just confirmed my suspicions. Now if you don't mind leaving, I have to see someone who means more to me than you ever will."

Lana was now seething. "So Chloe has got her claws into you, has she?"

"Lana, please leave!" he said forcefully, as he watched her storm off down the lane talking on her cell, no doubt calling for Lex to send the limo for her.

Clark could not believe how free he felt after that showdown with Lana. In fact, he decided he was not in the mood to answer Chloe's questions, and did not understand why he had to answer to her. Lois and he had just shared the most intimate experiences, and he did not want this relationship to turn into the Lana drama so he knew what he needed to do.

He walked in the farmhouse determinedly. He saw Lois who had heard the voices downstairs, got dressed and starting to try and explain herself to Chloe.

"Lois, stop right there!" he said as he went in the door. "Chloe, you are one of my best friends but we do not owe you an explanation for this."

He turned to Lois. "Lo, do you want to get out of here?"

Lois was confused but nodded. She watched as Clark approached, kissed her softly, and scooped her up in his arms.

He whispered softly in her ear. "Close your eyes and hold on."

She did as he asked, her heart pounded with anticipation as she felt the ground disappear from under her feet. He then did the unthinkable, and once outside the farmhouse, he launched into the air, as though he had been doing it all of his life.

"Open your eyes!" he suggested to her.

She did, and then panicked. "What the hell!"

"Don't worry I got you." He smiled. "I never knew I could fly."

"What do you mean? You have never done this before. " Her increasing calmness was threatened by his latest bombshell.

"Lo, it's a long story. Let's stop somewhere so we can talk." He flew a few moments before landing near a tranquil lake.

"Where are we?" she asked, as he suggested that she join him, sitting on the grass.

"We are in Patagonia, but not exactly sure which lake. I just thought it would be warmer than Kansas. Do you have questions or should I just tell you?"

"I have millions of questions but I am listening." She smiled.

He went on to tell her all about his childhood and origins, to which she listened with amazement.

"But you are still the same, Clark, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I am still your new ….. " He replied hopefully.

"You were going to say boyfriend, weren't you?" Her expression changed to a serious one. " I thought we were just friends with benefits."

"We can't be. We're not friends, are we?" he challenged her.

"Well after the display an hour ago, I think we could give being friends a go. If you are willing to?" Lois grinned.

"I think I could be persuaded." He said, as he kissed her, making her topple back on the grass.

Back in Smallville, Star had just pulled up at the farm. She rushed to the door.

"Are Clark and Lois here?" Star asked a surprised Chloe, who still had no idea what was going on.

"They have left." She replied.

"Where did they go?"

"I don't know. They did not say."

"I need to find them. If not, Jonathan Kent is going to die." The panic in Star's voice was evident…

Chloe could see the distress on Star's face. "Come in. What did you say about Mr Kent? Why is his life in danger? Is it an assassination attempt?" She questioned her.

"No, I cannot be sure but I think Clark's father has something to do with it." Star explained.

"But Mr Kent is his father."

"No, I mean his Kryptonian father... Jor-el. If you sit down I will explain."

Chloe sat down and waited.

"Clark and Lois travelled back in time to 1989 which is where I first met them. They arrived back today but Jor-el wiped their memories. I have spent the last 16 years working for Dr Swann to ensure that the timeline followed the original timeline as closely as possible. The problem is that when Jonathan gave me his hand to help me out of the chair when I left the Talon, I saw him lying in Clark's arms on the driveway of the Kent Farm. He was dead."

"But why would Jor-el do it?"

"We don't know but it is our best guess So do you have no clue where Lois and Clark went?" Star asked again.

"No, he just came in the kitchen, kissed her and sped off with her. How long have those two been together?"

"On and off for 16 years. " Star managed a chuckle as she told Chloe the tale about their relationship which was interspersed with memory wipes.

"Can you take me to the Fortress?" She asked Chloe.

"If the key is in the barn we could go through the caves. I have been with Clark a few times, so we can give it a go."

"Great idea… then I have a plan on how we can get Lois and Clark to come as well."

Chloe rushed out to the barn, and rifled through the drawer. Luckily Clark had not moved the key. They drove quickly to the Kawatche caves, and Chloe placed the key in the slot. There was a sudden blinded light and they found themselves in the ice structure.

Chloe did not waste any time. "Jor-el…"

A bright light shone down on them. "Chloe Sullivan, what do you want?" He said in his usual grumpy sounding voice.

"Jor-el, I am Star. We have come here to convince you not to take the life of Jonathan Kent."

"It is not I who takes his life. His heart is weak!" he replied with no emotion.

"Yeah but I am guessing it is you who pushes him over the edge." Star argued.

"It will finish Clark if you let his father die. " Chloe exclaimed.

"But it won't. You see the death of Jonathan Kent pushes him to achieve his destiny." Jor-el continued.

"So you don't think he will reach it otherwise?" Star asked but she did not give him a chance to answer. "What are you going to do about his relationship with Lois Lane?"

"I have taken care of that with a mind-wipe." Jor-el replied.

"Well how do explain that they left an hour ago together…as a couple. No matter how many times you wipe their memories I guarantee that they will gravitate towards each other again, and again." Star challenged him.

There was silence. After a few moments, Star became impatient. "This is getting us nowhere." Then she pulled a device from her pocket. She typed in a few words and pressed the send button.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark were taking the chance to enjoy the sun in the pasture where they were lying.

"Clark, this might sound really strange but do you feel you have deja-vu?" Lois asked, as she lay draped across his chest.

He looked down at her. "Yeah I do but I cannot work it out. I feel like some of my memories have been clouded over."

"Yeah, me too. The question is, what are we going to do about it." She asked.

"Well not much at the moment. We really need to get back to Smallville. My dad finds out the results in a few hours and I don't want to spoil his day. Do you mind if…."

Clark stopped mid-sentence, sat up and suddenly his face melted in distress. He put his hands across his ears to protect them from the deafening noise. "Can you hear that?" He shouted to Lois.

"Hear what?" she asked, now kneeling next to him.

He picked her up and sped them to the source of the signal – The Fortress.

He put a shocked Lois down as they entered the structure. "Where are we?" She asked.

"We are at my Fortress in the Arctic, the one I told you about."

Lois nodded. "So why are we here?"

"The signal came from here." He explained.

As they walked towards the centre, Lois noticed her cousin and another woman. "Chloe, what are you doing here?"

"We came through the cave." She explained.

"Thank goodness it worked." Star said. "Hi Clark, you won't remember me but I am Star."

"Star, can I ask what you and Chloe doing here?"

"We are here to prevent Jonathan from being killed. You had your memories wiped. Lois, can you come and hold my hand, and I will return your memory."

Lois paused for a second, and looked at Clark for guidance. He nodded for her to do as she asked. "I had a feeling something had happened with our minds." He explained.

Lois went and took hold of Star's hand, and closed her eyes. Minutes later, she opened them. "I can't believe all the mind-wiping that is going on. This is the second time for poor Clark." She smiled at a puzzled looking Clark.

"Star, can you return Clark's memories?" she asked.

"I can but it will be quicker and more effective if Jor-el does it. If you are listening, Jor-el.." she shouted…


	21. Chapter 21

Again there was silence. Star sighed. "Ok, Clark. Looks like I will have to do it."

Suddenly a light shot down and enveloped Clark who was lifted into the air, and then dropped to the ground seconds later.

Lois rushed over to him. "Are you ok?" She helped him up.

He looked at her, and then kissed her. "I remember everything."

He hugged Star and Chloe. "Ok let's get this sorted."

"Jor-el…" he demanded. "You can end this now. Leave my father alone."

Jor-el finally replied. "It is not me who ends his life. I decided not to…"

"Who is it?" Clark asked in a panic.

"I do not know how things will play out." His Kryptonian father replied.

"Star, what can you remember?"

"I just saw Jonathan lying in your arms on the farm. It may not be his heart; maybe he is murdered." She explained.

Clark grabbed Lois. "Meet us at the Talon." He announced to Chloe and Star. " Don't let on that we know anything." He sped them home.

They arrived within seconds. He placed Lois down. "Lo, we need to let things play out how they should otherwise we may not find out who kills dad, meaning his life could be in danger in the future."

Lois nodded, and grabbed Clark's hand as they entered the Talon together. People were already starting to arrive even though the results had not been announced. There was a hopeful buzz around the room that Jonathan would be able to defeat Lex Luthor.

"Clark…" Jonathan shouted as he pushed through the crowd to see his son. "Are you and Lois ok?" He asked concerned.

"Yeah why wouldn't we be?" he asked, not aware his parents know about their time travel exploits.

"We know, Clark…" he whispered in his son's ear.

Clark stood back, and waited for the lecture. "Lois, you should hear this too." He announced resided to the fact.

"We can talk about it later. We are happy about it, but you do understand that there will be ground rules." Martha interrupted to calm Clark down.

Star and Chloe soon arrived. "Lois, I have been thinking… Let's go upstairs and I will probe your mind to see if we can find out what happens."

Lois agreed, and they headed upstairs whilst Clark and Chloe stayed with his parents to keep up the appearances of normality.

Star made a link almost immediately. She realised that Lois was with Clark at the Kent Farm, as the police milled around in the background.

"Well, at least, it is over now." Clark replied. "I just thought we had ended it 16 years ago. Hopefully this time!"

She noticed Martha, and then Jonathan sitting at the kitchen table in the background talking to the sheriff.

She came out of her trance, puzzled. "It looks like we have already changed history by being aware of what is going to happen. But something is not quite right and I cannot put my finger on it."

"Try again to see if you can see more." Lois suggested.

"I only got that snap shot and there was nothing else. To be honest this pregnancy is really affecting my abilities." Star replied. "I guess we are just going to have to wait and see what happens."

For the next few hours, they monitored the situation closely looking for any sign that something was amiss. His dad won the election race by a landslide and there was no indication of any problems with his heart.

When the celebrations, they all headed home but Clark was on a heightened state of alert because if anything was going to happen, it was going to happen at the farm. Even though Star had seen a flash-forward of Jonathan after his supposed death, she was convinced that something was going to happen.

There was a familiar figure waiting by the house when they pulled up. It was Lex, who was obviously drunk.

It all happened so fast that Clark could not stop his father from getting out of the car. "I will sort this!" Jonathan said as his father climbed out of the car. Clark scanned Lex, but he was not armed, so he calmed down a little and he scanned the surrounding area, and nothing.

"Lex, what can I do…" But before Jonathan could finish his sentence, a shot rang out in the air, and entered Jonathan's chest. It all happened too fast for Clark to react. His father collapsed into his arms, his breathing labored and his heart beat was failing…then after a few seconds, his heart stopped altogether. All attempts to revive him were futile.

He heard his mom sobbing uncontrollably next to him. Suddenly Clark felt his anger rise, as he needed to find the perpetrator. Lex was the obvious suspect but he was unarmed and he had passed out just as the shot rang out. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a figure into the distance speeding away through the nearby wood at super speed. He placed his father down, and gave chase.

The figure had stopped in the distance. Clark caught up with him.

"Brainiac! I thought we had destroyed you. Well prepare to be wiped out." Clark said as he charged him.

But he was brought to a sudden halt by a force field. He turned around to see Garth, Rokk and Imra standing next to him. "Kal-el. Let us deal with him. This is our mess and we will fix it." Imra said, trying to calm him down.

Rokk came up to him. "Take Jonathan Kent to the Fortress. Ask Jor-el for his help."

Clark acted immediately and swept back to the farm, before leaping into the air with his father. Martha and the rest of them were left wondering what was happening.

Clark gently placed his father on the console within the Fortress. "Jor-el, I need your help. Please save my father. You could take his life, so you must be able to revive him."

"Kal-el, my son. But there needs to be a balance in the universe, so if I save Jonathan Kent, someone else will have to lose their life."

"I cannot cope without him."

"But in the alternate universe you still reached your destiny." Jor-el announced.

"Let me rephrase it… I do not want to cope without him."

"There is another way…" Jor-el remarked.

"Take the Legion Ring." His father explained as the ring appeared in front of him. "It will take you back to seconds before Jonathan Kent is killed by Brainiac. You need to act fast to save him without anyone seeing you. You will then jump back here once you have stopped it to prevent any more time paradoxes."

Clark activated the ring, and found himself feet away from his father. He saw Brainiac speeding towards his father. He charged him with all the force he had, taking him into the spot in the woods where the Legion had appeared.

Seconds later they appeared. Clark shoved a dazed Brainiac towards him. "Deal with him, will you?"

Clark did not have a chance to see what was happening when he jumped back to the Fortress. He panicked when he noticed his dad was not there.

"Where is he?" he demanded to know.

Jor-el replied. "He is back at the farm, alive and well."

"Thank you for your help. I will not forget it but one more thing… please leave Lois and I alone. I love her, Jor-el and I want to marry her."

There was silence for a second. "Kal-el, Lois Lane is your soulmate and although you were not supposed to unite for a few years yet, I will accept it." Jor-el's voice boomed out.

Clark sped back to the farm where he found a shell-shocked Jonathan holding on to Martha. "Dad, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I would just love to know what happened. Lex tried to kill me and passed out."

"No he didn't. It was Brainiac but he should be gone for good by now. Let's go in the house and I will explain. We can call Lionel and tell him to come and pick Lex up." Clark smiled, as he hugged Lois.

The police arrived as gunshots have been reported. They interviewed Jonathan but then decided there was no investigation to undertake and left.

Lois and Clark were sitting talking in front of the fire.

"So what are we going to do now?"

"How about we sleep on it?" Clark added.

"Well, we are going to have to sleep separately, aren't we?" Lois sighed.

"I suppose so. Can we go for a walk?" he smiled at her. He grabbed her hand, and led her past his smiling parents who were talking to Star about what had happened.

It was a cold, but cloudless night allowing the stars to light up across the night sky. He sat Lois down on a log near the woods, and knelt down on one knee. He pulled something out of your pocket.

Lois beamed, aware of what he was planning to do. "Lois, I love you whatever time we are in…will you marry me." He announced with emotion.

"For the third time, yes I will." She hugged him and they sat down and talked for ages, planning their wedding.

Finally they headed back to the farmhouse to break the news. There were shrieks of excitement echoing all around the room.

"When are we planning the big day?" Martha asked them.

"Well since we have been engaged for 16 years, we figured another couple of years wouldn't seem long." Lois laughed.

"Mom, it is going to be a long engagement. We are too young at the moment. When we get settled in life and a career, we will set a date." Clark explained.

Star piped up. "Can I at least help you to organise an engagement party?"

"Star, you read my mind… literally." Lois commented.

"Just a word of warning: I will not be offering any more readings to either of you." Star announced to the happy couple. "The last 16 years have proved to me that the future is not set in stone, and it is up to you both to steer your own destinies."

Later that night, Lois and Clark sat on the porch swing. "I wonder what our future holds." She said softly

"As long as you are in it, I don't care." He kissed her….


End file.
